As Sarah Beaumont, she was the other woman in Karl and Susan Kennedy’s marriage, playing the doctor’s young secretary.
Twenty years after entering Ramsay Street – and three years after a six-week guest slot – 46-year-old Nicola is back in Erinsborough.
“It’s a very tough storyline and the juiciest I’ve had, including the love triangle,” said the mum-of-three, originally from Worcestershire.
“Some of the issues Sarah is dealing with are things I had to deal with over Christmas in my own family, so when I got the script I started crying and said to my husband that I didn’t know if this was something I could do at this point in my life.
“I went from excitement to worry about the subject matter, but I felt a responsibility to do a great job with it.”
The Karl affair storyline was Nicola’s idea.
“We used to have script meetings every Tuesday and one day I decided to go along and said I’d like more of a storyline, but they said they couldn’t think of anything to do with her,” explained
Nicola, who hinted her two-month return will become more permanent.
“I looked at who I wanted to work with in the cast and came up with the love triangle.
“I was laughed out of the room. They said the BBC would never allow it.
“I thought that was the end of it, but a year later they said things had changed and they might take a look at it.
“People still talk about the storyline to this day.”
Neighbours, Channel 5, weekdays 1.45 and 5.30pm.
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