A drunken Jimmy reveals it was the lawyer who committed the arson attack on The Mill....

Now the staff at the factory know about Nicola’s phobia in Emmerdale, the pranks are coming thick and fast but one particular joke goes too far and a furious Nicola starts slating Jai unaware he can hear her.

Jai's livid about Nicola's outburst and promptly fires her on the spot! Nicola tries to blackmail her boss into giving her her job back, but when he stands firm, she storms off home and takes out her anger on Jimmy.

Her long-suffering other half isn't going to stick around to get an earful and heads off to the pub where he proceeds to get increasingly sloshed and in a moment of drunken indiscretion, starts blabbing to all and sundry that it was Rakesh who started the Mill fire that left Nicola semi-paralysed.

The shocked villagers encourage him to call the police and report the arsonist immediately, which drunk Jimmy duly does before consulting Nicola.

Soon the ball is rolling when the police suddenly show up at the factory to grill Rakesh, much to the shock of his family and colleagues.

How will slippery former lawyer Rakesh manage to get out of this? And will Priya continue to protect her criminal hubby?

A drunken Jimmy becomes loose-lipped sparking a dramatic chain of events....

A drunken Jimmy becomes loose-lipped sparking a dramatic chain of events....

Earlier, Nicola is fuming when she becomes a victim of pranking at the factory.

She blames Jai, but when he overhears her bad-mouthing him, he's livid and tells her she's fired!

Nicola storms off home but when she starts laying into Jimmy, he takes refuge in The Woolpack where he proceeds to get increasingly drunk!

As the beer flows, a loose-lipped Jimmy blabs to Lisa, Zak and Kerry that it was Rakesh who started the fire at The Mill. Everyone insists he go straight to the police to report the arsonist.

Rakesh is caught completely unaware when the cops pay a visit to the factory.

How can the shifty former lawyer defend himself and wriggle out of this one?

Will Priya continue to stand by her man and lie to protect her husband, or is Rakesh finally going to get the punishment he deserves? Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday, June 5

Nicola King is horrified when she finds out Rakesh Kotecha deliberately started the fire that could have killed her… and she gets her revenge, star Nicola Wheeler explains

Nicola King has no idea that the fire that injured her so horribly was started deliberately. But this fortnight she finds out Rakesh Kotecha was behind the blaze… and uses the knowledge to blackmail him.

“It’s his wife Priya who gives the game away,” actress Nicola Wheeler tells Soaplife. “Nicola decides to get her own back by demanding a job at the factory where she can continue to blackmail the whole family…”

How does Nicola find out the truth? “She has a few drinks, gets a bit fresh and thanks Neville the insurance guy for the pay out. Neville tells her that there wasn’t a payout and her mind starts whirring.”

So she asks Rakesh to solve the mystery? “She confronts Priya [Fiona Wade] and Rakesh [Pasha Bocarie] and tries to trip them up. Rakesh is a cool customer, but it's Priya’s reaction that makes Nicola guess there is something dodgy. All night long she is thinking about it and Jimmy [Nick Miles] urges her to drop it, but she knows something is afoot. It’s Ronnie Hale [John McArdle] who eventually reveals the truth and explains that Rakesh started the fire.”

How does Nicola react? “She asks Ronnie if he will stand by what he said to the police and he agrees. She thinks about it and decides that she would rather get what she can out of it than see Rakesh rot in jail.”

So why does she ask for a job at the sweet factory? “She finds out that the whole Sharma family knew Rakesh started the fire so they are all accessories to the crime. She has them over a barrel and would rather punish them all in a way that suits her. She knows she has power over them and starts by asking them to make Laurel Thomas [Charlotte Bellamy] supervisor.”

Why would that help Nicola? “Nicola does it for Laurel, as she knows that she is under a lot of pressure. She makes Jai [Chris Bisson] give Laurel flexible working hours, so that she can cope with the demands of her family and husband Ashley’s illness. She will also make the Sharmas do things to suit her, too.”

What does she tell the girls on the factory floor? “She doesn’t explain what she is doing, she makes out that she has been forced to work and says that it’s a case of needs must.”

How are Nicola and Jimmy getting on now? “Their relationship is good. They are back together and happy with the kids. He is relieved she has a new job because she was threatening to start working with him and going through the books and he was dreading her input!”

Emmerdale, ITV

When Bernice books Jimmy into a spa there are awkward repercussions when Nicola suddenly turns up in Emmerdale

When Bernice finds Jimmy collapsed in an exhausted state and struggling to carry on, she takes matters into her own hands and tells him she's booking him into a hotel for the night in Emmerdale.

However, her good intentions backfire when she finds herself caught up in a very compromising situation at the spa...

Jimmy's caught off guard when Nicola makes an unexpected appearance...

Earlier on, Nicola and Rodney get an unwanted eyeful when they return from a shopping trip and find Jimmy waiting to surprise Nicola!

Oops. They weren't expecting that. Meanwhile, when Bernice finds Jimmy collapsed in an exhausted state she tells him she's booking him into a hotel for the night so he can catch up on some rest.

Sleep-deprived Jimmy pretends to Nicola he's going to be away overnight for a job in Newquay while in reality he sneaks off to the hotel that Bernice has arranged. However when the manager refuses to check him in due to a mismatch in paperwork, Bernice has to turn up and pretend to be Jimmy's wife. Bernice continues the charade and goes up with Jimmy and the bags to his room.

However, Nicola's got wind of Jimmy's little hotel ruse and has decided to find out what he's playing at.Bernice quickly hides in the wardrobe not wanting her sister to see her there.

As an annoyed Nicola takes Jimmy to task for lying to her, Bernice holes herself up, not daring to appear.

As an annoyed Nicola takes Jimmy to task for lying to her, Bernice holes herself up, not daring to appear.

But how long is Nicola intending to stick around? After softening towards her hubby, maybe she thinks it would be a shame to let a good hotel bed go to waste...

Later on and with the hotel firmly behind them, Nicola and Jimmy are barely speaking to each other. Oh dear.Meanwhile Laurel comes up with a plan to make them communicate when she decides to lock them in the pirate ship together.Will her ploy to bring them closer work or will it make things between the bickering King couple even worse?Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday, November 28.

Nicola and Dan kiss, but star Nicola Wheeler hopes things don't go beyond that in Emmerdale!

Emmerdale’s Nicola Wheeler talks to Soaplife about how she hopes her character’s faltering marriage can survive both her paralysis... and her making a move on Dan!

Why are things going wrong with her and Jimmy? “They’re no longer husband and wife. They’re carer and patient. Jimmy [Nick Miles] likes being told what to do, then moans about it in the pub. They don’t have that dynamic any more.”

And how has Dan become her physiotherapist? “She sacked the official physio. Then Dan [Liam Fox] came to her rescue when she got stuck on the floor. He’s told Nicola treating her will help with his studies because he’s desperate to be a paramedic.”

What does she think of Dan? “She loves the fact he treats her normally. He doesn’t mollycoddle her and he’s able to give her a swift kick up the backside when she needs it. She’s also a sympathetic ear for him because Kerry [Laura Norton] doesn’t see how important this new career is to him.”

So why does Nicola kiss Dan? “Dan is telling Nicola that Kerry’s fine about him coming round to treat her and Nicola points out that no woman sees her as a threat any more. Then she goes in for a kiss, but she instantly regrets it.”

How does Dan respond? “He says he can’t do her physio any more. Jimmy takes over for a bit and he’s rubbish at it. Nicola explains she just wants to be friends with Dan and that he was helping her get better, so he agrees to give it another go.”

Will they be tempted again? “There are feelings there, but nothing should come of them. Nicola and Jimmy are strong enough to get through this.”

Even when Nicola’s told her arm may never recover? “Nicola doesn’t know how to tell Jimmy. They’re both clinging onto the hope that everything will return to normal. When she does finally break the news, he runs off. He doesn’t know how to respond.”

How would she react if she knew Rakesh Kotecha (Pasha Bocarie) started the fire deliberately? “She’d be gunning for him. She shouldn’t have been there, but she’d be furious if she knew it was all part of an insurance scam. She’s possibly paralysed for life. The feeling in her leg is back, but not in her arm.”

Emmerdale, ITV

Emmerdale’s Nicola King is about to be injured in a massive explosion, but it’s her sex scenes that actress Nicola Wheeler talks more about here – and why she thinks reality TV “is a con”…

You have some kissing scenes with Jimmy coming up this week. How did you feel about watching your sexy scenes?

“I get embarrassed by my own performance rather than the scenes themselves. I’m really critical and think: ‘Oh, I could have done that like this’,” Nicola told the Express.

How do you juggle being a mother with this full-on job?

“We’re very lucky. My husband is freelance so we share childcare. He can go out to work when I get home if I’ve got a couple of scenes in the morning. It’s a struggle. I try to get my work done at work.

“Anyone who’s got children knows you get nothing done when you’re at home. You’re busy doing all the household washing, cleaning, cooking, looking after your baby. My world becomes my son when I’m at home, not work.”

What programmes do you love?

“Game Of Thrones, I’m loving it! We’re just on The Affair season two, I love that as well. Me and my husband have a thing where we go ‘Nine o’clock, it’s box set time’. It’s our hour together and then, to be honest, I’m in bed.”

After appearing in Cirque de Celebrité, have you any plans to do more reality shows?

“No, I think there’s nothing real about reality shows, it’s a lie, it’s a con. If ever I did it, I’d do it for the money, I’m not going to lie. I’m disgusted with what I’m A Celebrity… did with Lucy [Pargeter, her Emmerdale co-star, who claims she was “unfairly edited”].

“The problem with reality shows is that they add their own script. They’re not reality. It’s a shame because I would love to do I’m A Celebrity… just for the challenges, but because I saw what happened with Lucy I wouldn’t dream of touching it with a barge pole. Unless they offered me a million, which they never would.”

On to this week’s explosive drama in Emmerdale…How do you conjure up emotional reactions?

“I actually find it really easy to cry. Having a 15-month-old baby and being sleep deprived, I’m always on the brink of crying.

“If you’re having difficulty you draw on the various skills you’ve developed but sometimes, if the writing’s good enough, it’s easy, the emotion comes. Other times you’ll have to use other things like music to help you along the way.

“Nick (Miles, who plays Jimmy King) can draw it out of me as well. You watch your fellow actors and that does it for you.”

You used a double for the fire scene. Did you want to do your own stunts?

“Having seen the way she threw herself at the wall, no! It’s pretty tough what stunt ladies and guys do. I’d do it but I know I’m one of these idiots that would break my arm on the first take. I’d be useless. No one would insure me to do it!”

Due to Euro 2016 football, the next episode of Emmerdale is on ITV, Tuesday, June 28, 7.00pm

Emmerdale’s Nicola Wheeler tells Soaplife how motherhood has changed her life for the better…

Nicola King hasn’t taken long to get back into the swing of Emmerdale village life since she returned from working in Dubai. But for Nicola Wheeler, who has played the character for almost 15 years, coming back to work after seven months’ maternity leave was a shock.

“Everyone said I would feel different, but I underestimated exactly how different,” says Nicola. “I used to think my job was easy, but now I’m a mum, learning lines and getting my act together is much harder.”

So, is motherhood living up to your expectations?

“It’s changed my life for the better, but when I was pregnant, I didn’t really take heed of people who told me to make the most of resting while I could. I was on the go the whole time, but once my son was born, I realised that I should have sat on my bum for at least three weeks.”

What have you called your little boy?

“Do you know what, I’m keeping that to myself, so that people don’t nick it! I have friends in the business and when they’ve given their child’s name out, people have messaged them on Twitter and said, ‘What a horrible name.’ I’m keeping it to myself because ‘Barry’ isn’t popular… I’m joking!”

What were your biggest fears about coming back to work?

“Learning my lines and the fact that I was still weaning my son when I came back. I wondered if I’d gone back at the right time, but then there are so many different phases, aren’t there? My partner and I are doing the childcare between us and, so far, the longest I’ve left my baby is 12 hours. The great thing about weaning is he now prefers water to milk, and I know that he loves mango and curry!”

How are you finding it now you’re a working mum?

“For a start, I take my hat off to any working mums who watch soaps – I don’t know where they find the time! I also have such respect for mums who stay at home. I always remember Charlotte Bellamy [Laurel Dingle], who has three children, telling me that coming to work was a rest for her. I totally get what she meant now.”

What was it like seeing everyone at Emmerdale again?

“Nick Miles [Jimmy King] and I kept in touch, but it was lovely to see everyone again. I was only away for seven months, but in that time there were so many changes. Everyone kept joking that I was lucky to be off during the helicopter crash as I could have been one of the chosen!”

Have you managed to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight?

“I’m still a dress size bigger than I was, but I’m not putting any pressure on myself to lose weight. In fact, I’ve recently bought the next size up in jeans. I was determined to squeeze back into the old ones, but you know what, there’s a muffin top and then there’s a whole cake!”

How was the birth?

“I was in labour for 24 hours, but I’m over it now. The worst part was the three weeks after the birth. Nobody tells you those weeks are hell. I felt as if I needed to sit on a rubber ring and I’d be doing it for the rest of my life. I couldn’t walk properly. It was horrible, but my mum told me to be patient and said that I’d do more each day. She was right.”

What was a typical day like for you during your seven months off work?

“The days just went. I’d get up at 8am and think, ‘What the hell am I going to do?’ Then it would suddenly be 9pm. And I’m one of the lucky ones, as I have a lovely baby. We did manage to have a holiday. We went to Majorca for a week because when a child reaches the age of two, you have to start paying for them! We had so much luggage. We literally packed the entire house for the baby and we were lucky if we had a pair of socks each.”

Can you tell us what’s in store for Nicola now she’s back?

“I can’t tell you, but once my son is a bit older, I’ll be saying to them, ‘Give me a story!’ For the time being, however, I’m happy not to be in the thick of things.”

Emmerdale, ITV.

Congratulations to soap star Nicola Wheeler, who secretly gave birth to her first child, a boy, on Friday, March 13.

The happy news was announced on Emmerdale’s twitter account.

Nicola only confirmed in February that she was pregnant.

Her character, Nicola King, was recently seen on screen, making a tearful departure to Dubai, where she will be working for six months, while her husband Jimmy (Nick Miles) and daughter Angelica remain in Emmerdale.

Nicola W has confirmed that she will return to Emmerdale later this year, after her maternity leave.

Emmerdale, ITV.

Emmerdale’s Nicola Wheeler hints to Soaplife about what will happen to her character Nicola King while she’s on maternity leave…

As pretty as Emmerdale village is, Nicola King has got her heart set on a champagne lifestyle in Dubai… And that fits in nicely with actress Nicola Wheeler’s need to disappear on maternity leave, for the birth of her first child. Nicola K’s ambitions aren’t shared by husband Jimmy [Nick Miles], though.

"Nicola’s been offered this great job working for a spa and really wants to go," says Nicola W. "The pay is excellent. All she has to do is persuade Jimmy to go, too."

Can she?

So will Nicola  go to Dubai while you’re on maternity leave?

“You’ll have to wait and see. Personally, I’m pushing for a soap bubble, a special with Nicola in Dubai, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

How much time will you have off?

“I’m taking six months. It’s great because myself and Emma [Atkins, who plays Charity] have our due dates a day apart! I won’t say the date as we don’t want people standing outside with cameras watching me get wheeled in like a big puffer fish. But the race is on between Emma and I.”

Are you coming back when you’ve had the baby?

“Yes! How Nicola comes back will be revealed sometime in autumn. I’m worried about how I will be. I have a serious case of baby brain and Lucy [Pargeter, who plays Chas) says it doesn’t get any better...”

Emmerdale, ITV.

Emmerdale star Nicola Wheeler says her character Nicola's husband Jimmy King will be fleeced by every woman in the village, when Nicola departs for Dubai.

Nick Miles, who plays Jimmy, said he's unhappy about losing Nicola, who's going to be offscreen while she has her first baby: "I hate it, I absolutely hate it. I love working with Nic, obviously I'm thrilled for her personally, but selfishly, it's horrible. What's Jimmy going to do without Nico?"

Nicola said: "He's going to get fleeced, that's what's going to happen... Every woman in the village is going to fleece him."

Nicola's departure from Emmerdale for Dubai comes after her boss Lawrence White refuses her a sabbatical. But she's determined to relocate and accept a job offer in the Emirates, expecting Jimmy to follow.

Nicola explains the development: "Nicola comes back having been offered a job. She asks for a sabbatical, doesn't get a sabbatical, and basically tries to persude Jimmy to give up his life here in Emmerdale and come to Dubai for six months."

Nick responded: "Why wouldn't I? No trucking business, just go to Dubai and be a house husband, it will be fun."

Nicola continued: "Or be stuck in a Portakabin in the freezing cold...

"Near the Woolpack."

"There's beer in Dubai."

"Served how?"

"And you get served in fully air conditioned luxury."

Nick had the last word: "Jimmy doesn't like sun."

Watch the interview with Emmerdale's Nick Miles and Nicola Wheeler, above.

Nicola is shocked when the villagers, including her hubby, Jimmy, suspect her of trying to abduct baby Amba!

Menopausal Nicola goes missing with Priya’s baby - and the police want to lock her up, Emmerdale’s Nicola Wheeler explains to Soaplife...

How does this happen?

“Well, Nicola and Jimmy [Nick Miles] are supposed to be having a night of passion in the B&B, but end up eating chocolate biscuits and the only marathon session is spent watching Midsomer Murders.”

But that’s not what Nicola tells other people…

“Val [Charlie Hardwick] makes a comment about the chocolate stains on the sheets and Nicola suggests they’re from experimental naughtiness, to save face. But Kerry [Laura Norton] keeps asking for more details and, to get out of the way, Nicola decides to take Amba for a walk.”

How does that become an abduction?

“Nicola starts off walking Amba around the village, but because she’s not settling, they go for a longer walk. It starts to rain, so they take cover in a barn, but James [Bill Ward] locks them in by accident. They’re there overnight, but luckily Nicola has food for Amba.”

What happens the next day?

“Jimmy finds them and Nicola returns to the village. She sees the police and is like, ‘You have no idea, don’t comment on my hair, I have been through a nightmare’. She’s expecting praise, but the police officer is very gentle and asks her to get into the car. She realises they’re treating her like a criminal and that she’s being arrested.”

How does she get out of this mess?

“James backs up her story, but the police have been told about what happened with Jimmy’s sperm donor baby, Karl. She’s curious to know who told them and then she listens to her voicemails and hears Jimmy saying, ‘Give her back. I didn’t realise things are this bad. I will get you professional help’.”

Uh-oh…

“Nicola is furious that Jimmy could think she’s capable of taking a baby. She took Karl because she didn’t think it was fair that Jimmy was being prevented from seeing him. Now she wants another baby, but Jimmy’s baby, not just any baby. It’s thoroughly disappointing to think that somebody she loves believes she’s capable of something like that.”

How does Jimmy try and make it up to Nicola?

“He dresses up and serenades her. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever done. Nicola had to keep a stony face, but I wanted to laugh the whole way through. What Jimmy does works to an extent, but Nicola needs more.”

Could this be the end of them?

“All I can say is, there has to be an end in order for them to continue.”

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for dates and times.

Nicola and Jimmy are thrilled when they learn she’s pregnant, but their happiness may not last, Emmerdale’s Nicola Wheeler reveals to Soaplife…

Jimmy’s vasectomy reversal has worked and his tender nether regions are about to earn a well-earned break when Nicola finds out she’s pregnant. “She’s delighted. Jimmy is, too. It’s unbelievable as they didn’t expect it to happen first time round,” says Nicola to Soaplife. But will their happiness last?

Why does Nicola want a baby now?

“The whole baby Carl thing set the wheels in motion. She realised Jimmy [Nick Miles] wanted to have another baby, so she’s very much doing it for him.”

When does she realise she’s pregnant?

“She gets drunk in the pub with Bernice [Samantha Giles]. They’re on a health kick, but Diane has a special on wine in The Woolpack and Kerry’s eating nachos, so they cave in and get hammered. Nicola starts singing A Fairytale in New York and embarrasses herself, but the next day she has the worst hangover ever. She realises the last time she felt like that was when she was pregnant with Angel.”

So?

“She does about six pregnancy tests. Bernice is with her and they’re both giddy when she finds out she’s pregnant.”

But the doctor takes the shine of her news…

“Yes. She goes to the doctor to get confirmation, but she comes back and says she’s been told that, as an older mum, there are more risks and possible problems. She feels a bit down about it."

How does Bernice cheer her up?

“She makes fake pregnancy bumps for her and Jimmy. Nicola finds it funny and thinks it’s very sweet of them both.”

Are you looking forward to wearing a pregnancy bump on set?

“Yes, because during the winter, we want bigger clothes so we can fit more thermals underneath. I’ll be a lot warmer on location in those early months!”

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for dates and times

Emmerdale’s Nick Miles tells Soaplife that Jimmy and Nicola could be in big trouble after Nicola tries to help Jimmy gain access to baby son Carl...

Jimmy’s desperate…  Juliette wants him out of her baby’s life, but Jimmy wants to be a father to newborn son Carl. Nicola, seeing how much it means to him, comes up with a solution… But what will Juliette make of it? “Being a dad has always been a big issue for Jimmy. He feels strongly that he wants to be part of Carl’s life. Nicola has an idea, but it’s a bit drastic,” says Nick.

Are there any more of Jimmy’s babies likely to appear?

“The way I understand it, Jimmy made one deposit at the sperm bank. He was keeping it for himself in case something awful happened to Nicola and Angelica, but it has all gone into that one pregnancy of Juliette’s.”

What does Jimmy want from Juliette?

“He wants access. He wants to watch his boy grow up. He has a son, but he’s in Australia and Jimmy doesn’t know if he will ever see him again. Jimmy wants to have an influence on baby Carl – he wants to protect him.”

But Rakesh (Pasha Bocarie) says he has no legal rights over his son…

“And Jimmy’s devastated. Juliette doesn’t want him to have access and asks Jimmy to say a final goodbye to Carl. It’s really hard for him as she gives him just half an hour.”

How does he say goodbye?

“He takes baby Carl around all the photos in the living room and introduces him to the King family. Nicola [Nicola Wheeler] listens to him on the stairs and can’t bear it. She’s really upset for Jimmy and ends up doing something drastic. Jimmy is terrified because what Nicola does is so serious, it could result in them losing everything – their own child even!”

OMG! What does she do?

“You’ll have to wait and see, but she does also decide that she wants to have more children with Jimmy and, for that to happen, he’ll have to have his vasectomy reversed."

Ouch!

“Yes, it will be painful - and funny. I scared the living daylights out of Becky [Bakes, who plays daughter Angelica] as she had to leap onto my lap and I screamed."

Would you like Jimmy and Nicola to stay together and have more kids?

“I would love them to. I suppose it’s a question of whether or not you want your character to be happy, because if he is too happy then they’ll never write about him. So Jimmy has to be a little bit unhappy. There was a moment when I thought they were heading for a break up, but [producer] Kate Oates told me, ‘I can’t break you two up, the audience won’t let me’.”

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for dates and times

Emmerdale's Nicola Wheeler tells Soaplife that Nicola King is furious and heartbroken when she learns Jimmy's going to be a dad again… with another woman, again!

Nicola and Jimmy’s marriage has been a rough ride and, just as they're on an even keel, things are going to get rocky again… A woman called Juliette pitches up and declares she's pregnant with Jimmy's baby. "Nicola assumes Jimmy's had an affair,” Nicola explains to Soaplife. "Then she finds out Jimmy made a deposit at a sperm back without telling her."

Why did Jimmy (Nick Miles) go to a sperm bank?

"A few years ago, he and Nicola agreed that he'd have a vasectomy. At the time, Jimmy decided to deposit some sperm, just in case. He tries to tell Nicola that, in the event of her death, he might want another child."

So Nicola didn’t know about this?

"No, he didn't tell her, then he forgot about it. She's angry he kept it from her and also worries he might have felt bullied into having a vasectomy. She likes to think that was a joint decision."

So how is Juliette carrying Jimmy’s child?

"There was a mix-up at the clinic and Juliette was impregnated with the wrong sperm. So Nicola thinks she's after money."

Is she?

"No. Juliette wants Jimmy to sign a form for anonymity, so that he has no influence over the child. Nicola thinks it's a good idea and encourages him to sign.”

But Jimmy's heartstrings are tugged when he hears Juliette's calling her baby Carl…

"That's a coincidence. Juliette doesn't know Jimmy's late brother was called Carl and it just rubs more salt into the wound."

Does Jimmy want to be involved in the baby’s life?

"He says he doesn’t, but Nicola sees he's not telling the truth and they row about it. A lot."

Could Nicola accept the child?

"She did with Elliot, the son Jimmy had with Kelly, and it was thrown back in her face, so it's difficult for her. Also, Nicola's very stubborn. If she doesn't like something, she won't change her mind easily.”

Are there any more women carrying Jimmy’s babies?

"Well, Nicola is thinking, ‘Who else is going to turn up pregnant by Jimmy?’. But, apparently, on this occasion, Juliette had the job lot."

Is this a threat to their marriage?

"Absolutely, but I hope they stay together. Viewers love Jimmy and Nicola as a couple. They’re well suited. Nicola's changed a lot. She used to be a person who'd sell someone's grandma for a quick buck, but she's not a bitch any more."

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for dates and times.

How will Nicola react when smooth-talking Steve kisses her!

Nicola Wheeler reveals to Soaplife how Nicola’s got stuck in a dangerous game with creepy Steve in Emmerdale - and he keeps changing the rules!

Nicola’s sorry she ever got involved with Steve, isn’t she?

"She feels really disorientated by him. One minute, he makes a salacious comment and she thinks he’s making a pass, the next, he tells her he was joking. She’s never sure if she’s being paranoid or not. She doesn’t want to be around him any more, but then he asks Jimmy and her to come to dinner with him and Bernice."

What happens then?

"It doesn’t go well. All day Nicola tries to come up with excuses to cancel, but Jimmy insists that they’re going. Nicola has to pretend that everything is OK for Bernice’s sake, even though he makes a comment about the restaurant that he took Nicola to."

Does Bernice suspect anything?

"Not of Nicola, but Steve’s comments start to make Bernice think that he’s seeing somebody else and Nicola ends up comforting her."

Why doesn’t Nicola just tell Jimmy she took £10k from Steve?

"Because she has lied to everyone including Jimmy. She told him that Angelica got a scholarship for the school and that’s a whopping great lie. She knows that Jimmy would say, ‘No man loans a woman £10k for nothing.’"

But this is also about Nicola not being happy with happy-go-lucky Jimmy…

"It is. She wanted to reignite the fire in Jimmy, but he’s happy to meander along and that’s why she couldn’t resist Steve’s proposition. She wants nothing but the best for their daughter, but Jimmy was happy to send Angelica to the local school."

What does Nicola plan to do about Steve now?

"She’s panicking and thinking that she’ll have to tell Jimmy because she can’t continue with things the way they are with Steve any more."

Could this destroy Nicola’s marriage?

"Nicola likes a bit of excitement and Jimmy has to give her that otherwise she will find it herself. This will drive a huge wedge between Nicola and Jimmy. I hope they stay together - viewers love them as a couple. I think also, thanks largely to Jimmy, Nicola has changed. For the first time ever, a fan stopped me and said, 'Nicola’s not a bitch any more' and I was so glad somebody had noticed!"