Nicola West is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'', played by
Imogen Bailey
Imogen Bailey (born 7 July 1977, Canberra) is an Australian model, actress and singer. As a model she has been featured on the cover of men's magazines, including ''Ralph'', ''FHM Australia'', ''Black+White''. On TV Bailey has appeared in vario ...
. She made her on-screen debut on 5 May 2008. She departed the show on 8 October 2008. The character has been central to many storylines including a HIV scare, incest and mental illness.
Creation and casting
Nicola was created as
Miranda Parker's (
Nikki Coghill
Nicola Vicars Coghill (born 4 January 1964) is an Australian actress. She is best known for playing the roles of Sister Jackie Crane in ''The Flying Doctors'', and Miranda Parker in ''Neighbours''.
Career
Coghill was born in Melbourne. She has ...
) younger sister.
Model turned actress Imogen Bailey was asked by producers to portray her. Bailey got the part after her agent informed producers that she had been taking acting classes for one year prior,
in December 2007 Bailey auditioned and impressed the casting team so much that she received the part two days later.
She was signed to a six-month contract. Around the time fellow model
Erin McNaught
Erin McNaught (born 22 May 1982) is an Australian model, actress, presenter, television personality and beauty pageant titleholder. McNaught grew up in Australia alongside her older brothers and began playing in a band named "Short Straw" in her ...
and singer
Dean Geyer
Dean Stanley Geyer (born 20 March 1986) is a South African Australian singer-songwriter, actor and martial artist who finished third in the 2006 season of the talent show television series ''Australian Idol'', and has had a notable role in the ...
were also cast as
Sienna Cammeniti
Sienna Cammeniti is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by model Erin McNaught. McNaught was cast in the role to help boost falling ratings in Australia. The character made her first screen appearance on 2 ...
and
Ty Harper respectively.
The castings angered the acting industry, who accused ''Neighbours'' of hiring celebrities to boost ratings.
Of this Brisbane acting agency Ego Management chief, Mark Eaton, commented that credible actors were missing out on job opportunities, adding: "This is all done to try to get viewing figures up – the producers are not worried about the quality of the show at all."
Executive producer
Susan Bower
Susan Bower is an Australian television producer and television writer best known for her work on the soap opera ''Neighbours''. Bower is also the founder of the production company ''Bower Bird Productions''.
Career
Bower is a former nurse who ...
defended the castings stating the actors were doing extremely well.
Bailey began filming her role on 21 January 2008.
Development
Characterisation
Nicola's persona is complex, she has been shown to be manipulative, usually with good intentions.
Of this Bailey described her during an interview with the ''
Herald Sun
The ''Herald Sun'' is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the Murdoch owned News Corp. The ''Herald S ...
'' stating: "She's a bit of a vixen, but is quite down to earth as well. When you first see her, she's trying to impress everybody – she's dressed up, her hair is done and there's a lot of make-up, But gradually she feels more comfortable in Ramsay St and realises she doesn't have to do that, so the real her emerges."
Defending her 'man eating' ways she added: "She does have a bit of sexual prowess but also has a very big heart and she's not coming from a really bad place. She's just looking for love. She has her femme-fatale moments, but she's a femme fatale with a really big heart and when the doors are closed she's not as sure of herself as she'd like people to think she is."
According to Bailey Nicola's best qualities the fact she is a sexy siren and a big trouble-maker.
When you first see Nicola, Bailey states: "If we were judging Nicola on first appearances I would say the word 'Vixen' describes her best".
She also defended the first impressions of the character stating: "She is actually quite a multi-layered character and this made her really interesting to play. She has a lot of
emotional baggage Emotional baggage is an everyday expression that correlates with many varied but similar concepts within social sciences, self-help movements, and other fields: its general concern is with unresolved issues of an emotional nature, often with an impl ...
from her childhood, she seeks constant validation from men and is a pretty insecure and messed up woman at her core."
Of her sisterly image she states: "She plays the smiley happy-go-lucky sister and she causes lots of trouble in the street but what it all comes down to, for Nicola, is her deep need to find love. I guess in a way we all have this need but Nicola's quest for love really does rule her life and causes her to make some wacky decisions..."
Of her overall changes Bailey states: "She went through many highs and lows in the six months that I played her and the end of her first chapter was pretty heavy, playing her emotional breakdown was exhausting and challenging but I loved every minute of it."
Incest
In 2008 Nicola was involved in a controversial storyline where it was revealed she had been pursuing a romance with her adoptive nephew
Riley Parker
Riley Parker is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Sweeney Young. He made his first on-screen appearance on 17 August 2007. He was involved in various storylines most notably an incest plot. ...
(
Sweeney Young
Sweeney Jerome Young (born 24 March 1989) is an Australian actor known for his role as Riley Parker in the soap opera ''Neighbours''.
Early life and education
Young grew up in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. He graduated from University H ...
).
Media reported the story after Australian conservative groups voiced their disapproval of the storyline.
The media dramatised the plot in the wake of a real life case in which an
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n man
Josef Fritzl
The Fritzl case emerged in 2008, when a woman named Elisabeth Fritzl (born 6 April 1966) told police in the town of Amstetten, Lower Austria, Austria, that she had been held captive for 24 years by her father, Josef Fritzl (born 9 April 1935). J. ...
raped his daughter, the storyline was likened to the real life case.
The Australian Family Association accused the soap opera of using plots mirroring real life events to attract viewers, branding them 'opportunistic'.
The president of its
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
branch commented on the storyline adding: "Is ''Neighbours'' redefining itself as some kind of sick mockumentary? Incest is a very sensitive subject that I wouldn't expect a prime-time program aimed at children to be tackling. They are dealing with young minds who can't fully understand or analyse the issues."
Susan Bower defended the storyline stating: "It is controversial, but all our stories are handled carefully."
The storyline aired regardless of the criticism, in which
Heather Pryor
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the Network Ten soap opera '' Neighbours'' in 2008, by order of first appearance. In December 2007, it was announced that Susan Bower would be taking over the role of executive produce ...
(
Georgina Andrews
Georgina Andrews is an Australian actress best known for her recurring role as Heather Pryor in the television soap opera ''Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was cr ...
) and
Bridget Napier
Bridget "Didge" Parker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Eloise Mignon. In 2007 the show was revamped to boost falling ratings in Australia. As part of this, the show's focus returned to family dy ...
(
Eloise Mignon
Eloise Mignon (born 18 September 1986) is an Australian actress. She began her career starring in children's television shows: ''The Legacy of the Silver Shadow'' and ''Silversun'' before appearing in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''. Mi ...
) discover their affair.
Storylines
When Nicola first arrives in Erinsborough, she and Riley were revealed to have a past romance. When Riley tries to end it, he can not resist. They then decide to keep seeing each other secretly, despite the fact that she is his adoptive aunt and that Riley was in a relationship with Heather. Heather discovers their affair, ending her romance with him and he and Nicola keep their affair a secret, even though Riley had been reluctant to the idea. She admits to having feelings for
Steve Parker (
Steve Bastoni
Steve Bastoni (born 4 March 1966) is an Award winning, Italian-born Australian actor. He became a household name in Australia for his role as Constable Yannis 'Angel' Angelopoulos in ''Police Rescue'' and as Steve Parker in ''Neighbours''. H ...
) before he and Miranda got married. Nicola later revealed she was only born so her parents could save Miranda's life when she was suffering from cancer, using her cells to treat Miranda's illness.
After Bridget finds them kissing in Riley's car, Riley decides to leave for the Middle East to be a war correspondent – against his family's will. He leaves a goodbye note urging his family not to trust Nicola. After Nicola kisses Steve and tells Miranda, Bridget tells Miranda of Nicola and Riley's affair, Miranda throws Nicola out of her home. Nicola reveals a secret in which Miranda used to be in love with another man, subsequently splitting them up. Nicola becomes good friends with
Toadfish Rebecchi
Jarrod Vincenzo Rebecchi (commonly known as "Toadfish" or "Toadie") is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ryan Moloney. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 January 199 ...
(
Ryan Moloney
Ryan Moloney (born 24 November 1979) is an Australian actor, known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' since 1995.
Career
Moloney's first acting experience was with ...
) and
Callum Jones (
Morgan Baker
Morgan Baker (born 11 May 1997) is an Australian actor best known for playing the role of Callum Jones on the soap opera '' Neighbours'' between 2008 and 2014. He briefly reprised the role of Callum in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Career
Baker h ...
) and moves in with them for a while.
Nicola suffers a needle injury from
Pete Ferguson (Kristin Holland), resulting in an HIV scare. She illegally takes a blood sample under Dr. Karl Kennedy's name. Pete tests HIV positive but Nicola's result returns negative. While out walking her dog, Nicola is struck by a car driven by
Donna Freedman
Donna Freedman (also Brown) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Margot Robbie. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 2 June 2008. Donna was initially introduced as a gu ...
(
Margot Robbie
Margot Elise Robbie (; born 2 July 1990) is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in both blockbuster and independent films, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Golden Glob ...
). She is in a coma as a result and when she regains consciousness, she has amnesia, although Bridget suspects she is pretending, as does Steve. It slowly becomes apparent she is pretending to make amends with Miranda, who finds out and kicks her out of the house.
Nicola poisons Steve, who as a result ends up in hospital. Miranda confronts Nicola, and Nicola knocks Miranda to the ground. Nicola is taken away by police. Nicola is sectioned and proved to be suffering from mental illness, believing she is Miranda and that Steve is her husband and Bridget is her daughter.
Reception
Nicola was well received by UK viewers and during a trip to the UK, Bailey stated that she was overwhelmed by support for her character. In 2009, Ruth Deller of entertainment website
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of ''Doctor Who Adventures''.
Purpose
The website sought to celebrate popular television shows, especially 'low brow televis ...
praised Bailey's portrayal of Nicola, citing her as the reason her on-screen family became interesting, she said "Imogen Bailey has done a great job at playing slutty-and-bonkers-aunt Nicola over the past year. She wasn't exactly
Izzy
Izzy is a common nickname for the given names Israel,Isaac, Isambard, Isidor, Isidore, Isidora, Isabel, Isobel, Isabelle, Isabella, Isaiah, Ishmael, Izzet, Isarn, Ismail, Isra, Izebel, Izmara, Isobelle, Isaura or Isam (عصام).
Izzy, Izzie, ...
, but she made the Parker family interesting, although the sudden sending her into a basket case storyline hasn’t been as interesting as when she was bitchy but loveable a few months ago."
''TV Soap'' named Nicola one of ''Neighbours "greatest bitches". They said "This blonde bombshell tore up Erinsborough a couple of years ago, seducing her nephew, ruining her sister's marriage and wrecking careers."
See also
*
List of soap opera villains
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. In soap operas, the villain, sometimes called a "bad guy", is an antagonist, tending to have a negative effect on other characters. A f ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:West, Nicola
Neighbours characters
Fictional nurses
Television characters introduced in 2008
Female characters in television
Female villains