 Pre-fame, she appeared on "Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns" in the episode from Halifax, her first screen role was on "Coronation Street" as Melanie Tindel.In 1997 Nicola played Claudia, the girlfriend of Vincent Marshall in Kay Mellor's Gold formerly called Band of Gold.She joined "Emmerdale" as Nicola Blackstock in 2001 and served for five years, before returning in 2007.