I’Ve Waited 10 Years to Hiss Sid Again (He’s Been Practising)Says NICOLA STAPLETON ; BAD GIRLS STAR PUCKERS UP FOR EASTENDER IN STEAMY STORYLINE
IT’S been more than 10 years since Nicola Stapleton kissed Sid Owen – and the good news for him is she reckons he’s getting better at snogging.
The former EastEnders stars are reunited in the new series of Bad Girls and despite being on opposite sides of the bars as prisoner and warder at TV’s toughest jail, Larkhall, they manage to find time for a secret romance.
It’s a plot which has been rolling back the years for Nicola, 31, who played runaway Mandy Salter in Albert Square until 1994, and she reckons Sid – who played Ricky Butcher – is better than ever now.
She said: “I’ve done loads of screen kisses and sometimes it’s a perk, other times it’s a downside of what we do.
“But I’ve snogged Sid before so it was revisiting old ground. We had a little thing going on EastEnders. He’s definitely got better. He’s obviously had loads of practice since then. It’s just as well because there are many saucy scenes.
“It was lovely to see him again. We’ve bumped into each other out and about at events but it was nice to spend some proper time together.”
Jungle
Nicola, who is single, is in her second series of Bad Girls as put-upon inmate Janine Nebeski, who spent the last series as a victim of G-wing bully girl Natalie Buxton (Danielle Brent).
This time she finds support in top dog Pat Kerrigan (Liz May Bryce) and romance with new warder Donny Kimber – Sid’s first role since he emerged from the jungle in the last series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
But life is still a drudge for Janine, which is just the way Nicola likes it.
The livewire actress breathed fire in Walford when she played Mandy and was a bed ‘em and leave ‘em guitarist in Young Person’s Guide To Becoming A Rock Star. But she wanted to get as far away as possible from those characters with Janine in Bad Girls.
She said: “She has a really hard time this year. She gets depressed when her mum dies and her family blame her because of the stress she’s caused. She gets involved with drugs and self-harming.
“Originally, she was feisty and fiery but I think it’s a little presumptuous to think everybody who goes into a prison is up for it.
“There must be a lot of really frightened little girls in there who are petrified beyond belief.
“I thought it would be great for her to be that kind of character who is scared but trying to front it up. I like her the way she is.”
Favourite
She’s had a great reaction to Janine – probably her most high- profile role since her EastEnders days – although she has worked in everything from The Bill, Casualty and Holby City to films such as Glasgow-set Urban Ghost Story with Jason Connery andBilly Boyd.
In Young Person’s Guide To Becoming A Rock Star, she played a gallus Glaswegian.
She is particularly proud of it because she spent much of her youth in the East End of Glasgow.
She said: “My mum’s from Glasgow and I’ve been going up since I was a kid.
“It is one of my favourite places to be. I was trawling Duke Street in the East End as a teenager with a fag and a pint of cider – just brilliant. I still love going out in Glasgow. It’s buzzing.
“I’ve got a massive family there. I’ve got aunties in Dennistoun, Bishop-briggs, Byers Road and I’ve got family in Bearsden, too.
“It’s such a small place, everyone knows everyone’s business. A lot of people in Dennistoun know my family and they ask after me.”
She’s had an enthusiastic reaction to Janine from Bad Girls’ notoriously hard-core fan base as well.
Nicola-said: “Everyone likes her.
“I know – because people come up to me in the street and tell me. It’s nice.
“The thing with Bad Girls is the diehard fans who are so protective of it. I’ve never worked on anything quite like it. The fans are so loyal, so religiously into it. It’s great.
“It feels really personal. If you go on to the websites people really want to know when it’s coming back and what’s happening.”
Some of her fan mail is from real life prisoners, something which echoes her experience on EastEnders when troubled Mandy struck a chord with viewers.
She said: “I get a lot from young girls in Holloway Prison, which is sad in a way. I always respond whatever way I can but sometimes it’s inappropriate.
“When I played Mandy she had a child abuse storyline underpinning her the character and I got a lot of letters from children in that situation.
“You want to help but all you are really permitted to do is say this is Childline’s number and encourage them to talk to someone.
Crotchless
“But it’s a fine line because you are not equipped to deal with that properly and could end up giving bad advice. In general, I always reply. A little picture, a little note.”
But some fans are weirdos and downright strange.
She said: “I’ve had crotchless knickers and a peephole bra sent to me with a disposable camera and a note saying, ‘Will you put these on and take a picture and send it back to me?’
“As if you are going to do that! Sometimes I can’t fathom how they might think you will actually do it.
“I might take a picture of my dog’s backside and send it to them.”
Bad Girls is on Thursday on ITV at 9pm.
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Young star: Nicola won role of Mandy in EastEnders cast at 17
Nicola was born on August 9, 1974, in Elephant and Castle, London.
She was such a livewire at school her parents were advised by a teacher to channel her energy into something positive – as a result they sent her to stage school.
She made her TV debut at age 12, when she first appeared in ITV’s 1987 children’s show Simon And The Witch.
She also appeared in films including Little Shop of Horrors, with Steve Martin, and Courage Mountain, with Charlie Sheen.
Nicola joined EastEnders at just 17, playing wild runaway Mandy Salter.
At the time she was linked to a string of famous names – including Robbie Williams – but says she never even met him.
Tired of the attention, she quit Walford in 1994.
She starred with Simone Lahbib, Stephen McCole and Ciaran McMenamin in Young Person’s Guide To Becoming A Rock Star – which also featured cameo appearances by Noel Gallagher and Denise Van Outen.
Dannielle Brent, who plays her nemesis Natalie Buxton in Bad Girls is one of her best pals. They are so close they say they’d love to share an on-screen lesbian kiss!
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Nicola’s rise to the top
(c) 2006 Sunday Mail; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.