Michelle Keegan opens up on life as a working mum and says 'I went in blinded' when she accepted role on The Blame before she had Palma

Michelle Keegan has admitted she's 'absolutely shattered' as she opened up on life as a working mum.

The actress, 39, welcomed her first child – daughter Palma – with TV star husband Mark Wright, also 39, in March 2025. 

In a new interview, the star detailed how she copes juggling her work with motherhood, noting that it's 'tough' before confessing she 'went in blinded' when she accepted her role on The Blame before she had Palma.

Michelle stars as DI Emma Crane in the ITV crime drama and while she has thrown herself into the role, she told how she didn't realise how 'hard' to adjust to working full-time as an actress whilst fulfilling her duties as a mother.

Speaking to Grazia, she shared: 'Listen, I think I went in blinded. Obviously I agreed to the role before I had Palma, because I was so excited by it. I think you just believe that you're going to be fine. And of course I can do it, loads of women work full-time and are a mum. But it is hard. It's really hard.'

She continued: 'I had long days and had to go home and learn a lot of lines for the next day and be fresh, but still look after the baby at night when she was up. Luckily Mark [Wright, her husband]'s brilliant, he's a great partner and he's such a good dad as well. '

Michelle went on to say that while she's had the support of her husband and their families, it hasn't made the role of being a working mum any less exhausting. 

She said: 'Thank God I've got the support system with Mark, and his family and my family have been brilliant as well. But I'm not going to lie. It's tough… I'm absolutely shattered.'

Michelle's shared a similar sentiment when she recently gave a rare insight into mum life, where she revealed her baby daughter Palma has started walking.

Joining her The Blame co-star Douglas Booth, 34, on This Morning this month, Michelle was asked by host Alison Hammond how old her baby was and if she was walking, with the star noting that Palma was 'a year and a half' and was in fact 'running' at this stage. 

The former Coronation Street actress, who recently pulled out of a major ITV drama in a bid to prioritise her family, added that she found juggling filming with her duties as a mother challenging.

She confessed to Alison and Dermot O'Leary: 'I was shattered!' while Douglas noted that she was 'working two jobs at once'.

Michelle then added: 'And learning lines. It wasn’t easy but we got through it and Doug was brilliant.' 

Michelle's insight into motherhood comes days after she pulled out of a major ITV drama to focus on her family.  

The actress was due to play a working-class barrister in the new series, but withdrew just a few months before filming was due to begin and will be replaced by Jodie Whittaker, 44.

Insiders described the decision as a 'huge blow' because Michelle had committed to the project a few months ago and a filming date had been agreed, but she dropped out before signing a contract.

A source told The Sun on Sunday: 'Michelle was really keen to take on the meaty role, but the heavy filming schedule would take her away from daughter Palma for too long.

'The hours were quite intense and the project was starting straight after her Netflix drama The Woods and she just couldn't commit.

'She is dedicated to her acting career, but like all working mums has to prioritise being there for her family, juggling work, parenting and being present for Palma.'

The Brassic star recently admitted it was 'daunting' returning to work for the first time after having Palma.

Speaking about drama series The Blame, she said earlier this year: 'Coming back to work after having a baby is quite daunting.

'But the production were so supportive and I was so looked after and it was like working with family.'