'I'm in a much better place now': Michelle Keegan opens up about split from Max George as she poses for smouldering new swimwear shoot

She regularly tops polls for the soap world's sexiest female actress, and has an abundance of male fans thanks to her stunning looks.

But Michelle Keegan has revealed in a new interview that she doesn't consider herself at all sexy.

Michelle made the admission to Hello! magazine as she posed in a revealing white swimsuit by Melissa Odabash, and opened up about her recent split from The Wanted star Max George.

'I'm in a much better place now': Michelle Keegan has opened up about her split from The Wanted singer Max George while posing for a sexy new shoot in Hello! magazine

She told Hello!: 'It makes me laugh that people think I'm sexy, because I'm not at all.'

Michelle also spoke for the first time about breaking up with Max, to whom she was engaged, saying that she is doing her best not to let the situation get her down.

She said: 'Obviously it was a very sad time for us, as we were together for 19 months. But I got to think of it as "I'm not the only girl who has ever had a break-up".'

Happier times: Michelle and Max were engaged, but split in July after Max was seen kissing a pretty blonde during a night out

The full interview with Michelle appears in this week's Hello! magazine, out now

'The worst part for me was having the whole thing played out so publicly. In the end, I had to simply ignore the gossip and throw myself in my work.'

But Michelle credited her friends for helping her get through the most difficult times, adding: 'I was really busy with some great storylines and my friends were amazing. 

'But eventually you just have to let things go and get on with life. I'm in a much better place now.'

Michelle and Max got together in late 2010, before Max popped the question with a £10,000 ring in April 2011.

With Max spending most of this year in the US with The Wanted, the relationship became somewhat strained and the pair revealed they had called off their engagement in April.

But the final nail in the coffin came in July when Max was seen kissing a pretty blonde during a night out. 

Since the split, Max's ex-girlfriend, Bobbi Aney, has come forward to claim she and the star shared a series of sexy texts throughout his relationship with Michelle.

The full interview with Michelle is in the new edition of Hello! magazine which is out now.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2221025/Michelle-Keegan-opens-split-Max-George-poses-smouldering-new-swimwear-shoot.html#ixzz2A1LBRfQE
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook