Kate Spencer
“I'm terrified about working with a newborn baby!”
It’s one of life’s great mysteries that Nicola and Jimmy’s unholy union is among soapland’s most successful marriages. These dysfunctional, often despicable people have survived where so many have failed, but they are about to face a huge test. We caught up with Emmerdale’s Nicola Wheeler to get some teasers about what’s ahead for the Kings, as they fight Carl’s birth mum Juliette for custody. And the star reveals there are some shocking twists down the road…
“We have a big year coming up!” enthuses Nicola. “As we all know, having a solicitor doesn’t come cheap, and Jimmy and Nicola have to find a way to make money. The question is, if they can’t take an honest path, do they take a dishonest one, and where will that lead?”
There’s no doubt that Juliette’s return has rocked Jimmy and Nicola’s family foundations. But Nicola was willing to compromise until Juliette turned the tables.
“Nicola’s attitude has changed dramatically!” admits Nicola. “At the start, she didn’t want to deny Carl the right to see his birth mum, and she understood Juliette had a need to see him. Yet it didn’t work out, and Juliette agreed to give Carl some time and space – then a solicitor’s letter arrives! If she hadn’t been so underhand and sneaky, Nicola might have been persuaded to organise visitation. But now Juliette has Nicola’s back up, and she thinks, ‘She’s not having him!’”
What Jimmy and Nicola don’t know is that Juliette has employed a private investigator to dig up dirt on the couple; taking surreptitious photos of them having a row, which could inflict significant damage in court.
“I don’t want to give too much away – however, they do find out, and the photos they see are not the ones viewers will see,” teases Nicola. “They look far worse! But the secret to Jimmy and Nicola’s marriage is that they do argue and they sometimes hate each other – yet they also love each other. They own up when they make mistakes, and they forgive quickly. It’s quite a realistic marriage.”
It looks as if the Kings are in for one hell of a battle, and will need all their strength as a couple to get through it – however, Nicola says she would find it hard to stick by a man like Jimmy in real life.
“People say to me in the street, ‘You should be nicer to Jimmy,’ although I stick up for my character and say, ‘If I were married to a Jimmy, he’d be under the patio by now!’” she laughs. “Thank God Nick Miles, who plays him, is nothing like Jimmy. We call him ‘Jim, Nice But Dim’, as he is a bit stupid, isn’t he? The majority of fans enjoy Nicola being rude and funny!”
Of course, the co-stars also have a clutch of young actors to work with in the King family. So how does Nicola find acting with three kids on set during a pandemic?
“It’s like herding cats, it’s crazy!” she shares. “They’re easily distracted, but are great fun to watch together. They become a bit like brothers and sisters on set, and wind each other up. But their energy is fun to be around, and they keep us on the ball.”
It’s a madhouse on and off screen, yet we know how fiercely the Kings love their kids. How far will they go to keep Carl?
“They were reluctant to turn it into a custody battle initially, as it would be so expensive,” says Nicola. “But now Nicola is determined that Carl will be staying with them. She’s come out all guns blazing!”
Jimmy and Nicola have to find a way to make money…