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
