'Emmerdale' star Nicola Wheeler wants to stay on the soap for years to come but knows she could be killed off at any moment.
Nicola Wheeler
The 46-year-old actress has been playing the bitchy character on the ITV soap for 20 years and although she has no plans to exit the Dales she is aware that she could meet her end at any point if the writers come up with a fantastic storyline.
In an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper, she said: "I am lucky to have been in 'Emmerdale' for a long time and I am happy playing a catty cow ... But it’s so great to be part of the soap and you never want to shy away from work. I know I am creeping up to the 50 mark now but in my head, I am permanently 20.
“But never say never. If the story is good, they can still kill you. I do feel lucky and I love the variety of working in the soap.”
Nicola - who has only taken two breaks from 'Emmerdale', leaving in 2006 for 18 months before returning in 2015 to have her son, who is now five - is shocked that no one has tried to kill her character yet because she can be such a "cow".
She added: "I often laugh at what my character is saying, and sometimes I do wonder why she hasn’t been murdered by now."
Nicola believes her alter ego has been so popular with viewers because she has been able to show so many different aspects of her personality in a variety of storylines, from taking Robert Sugden's virginity to trying to kill off her millionaire ex-husband.
She said: "We do chat ourselves about what makes a regular in soap.
“I guess it is characters who can do a bit of everything – they can make you cry, laugh, get angry and then you love them again.”
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