She is known for her role as Cindy Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (1988–1990, 1992–1998, 2023–present), as well as appearing as Stella Price in ITV's Coronation Street (2011–2014).

Her other notable television roles include the BBC dramas Real Women (1998–1999), Sunburn (1999–2000) and Two Thousand Acres of Sky (2001–2003).

[7] After her exams, Collins landed a role in Mikhail Bulgakov's The Crimson Island, directed by Lou Stein, at the Gate Theatre.

Her career changed direction after performing in the 1978 video for the Squeeze song "Cool For Cats", and as a backing singer for Mari Wilson and the Wilsations.

[10] While she was filming the BBC play Pressures in 1988, Collins was spotted by EastEnders producer Julia Smith, who asked her to audition for the role of Cindy Beale, who was to feature in 11 episodes of the soap.

[12] Collins returned to the role permanently in June 2023, where it is revealed that Cindy hadn't died in childbirth, but had entered a witness protection programme and had taken on the identity of 'Rose Knight', the wife of George Knight (Colin Salmon) and the mother of Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna (Molly Rainford).

She starred in the West End musical Daddy Cool, and while working during the night there shot sequences for a cameo in the short film Broken written and directed by Vicki Psarias, which went on to win the several international awards.

[19] On 2 July 2007, it was announced that Collins has been cast for the lead role of Karina Faith in new ITV drama series, Rock Rivals, produced by Shed Productions.

From 7 April-7 May 2011, Collins starred as Sheila Grundy, Fred Dibnah's third wife, in The Demolition Man at Octagon Theatre, Bolton.

[26] Three months later it was confirmed Collins had joined the cast as Stella Price, new landlady of the Rovers Return pub, beating Lisa Maxwell for the role.

[30] Since leaving Coronation Street, Collins has had various guest roles in television dramas: Casualty as Samantha Kellman (2014), Death in Paradise as Annette Burgess (2015), and Midsomer Murders as Nadine Campbell (2016).

[33] In 2014, Collins revealed that in 1998 – distraught by the end of her relationship with Tassalini and feeling career pressure – she attempted suicide while filming Sunburn in Cyprus.

[35] In August 2014, Collins was one of 200 public figures to sign a letter to The Guardian in opposition to Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.