From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nicola West
Nicola West
Nicola West She was signed to a six month contract.[4] Around the
time fellow model Erin McNaught and singer Dean Geyer
were also cast as Sienna Cammeniti and Ty Harper re-
spectively.[5] The castings angered the acting industry,
accusing Neighbours of hiring celebrities to boost ratin-
gs.[5] 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."[5] Executive
producer Susan Bower defended the castings stating the
actors were doing extremely well.[5] Bailey began filming
her role on 21 January 2008.[6]
Character development
Imogen Bailey as Nicola West Characterisation
Neighbours character Nicola’s persona is complex, she has been shown to be
manipulative, usually with good intentions.[1] Of this Bai-
Portrayed by Imogen Bailey
ley described her during an interview with the Herald Sun
Introduced by Ric Pellizzeri stating: "She’s a bit of a vixen, but is quite down to earth
Duration 2008 as well. When you first see her, she’s trying to impress
everybody – she’s dressed up, her hair is done and there’s
First appearance 5 May 2008 a lot of make-up, But gradually she feels more comfort-
Last appearance 8 October 2008 able in Ramsay St and realises she doesn’t have to do that,
so the real her emerges."[1] Defending her ’man eating’
Classification Former, regular ways she added: "She does have a bit of sexual prowess
Profile 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
Home West Waratah
femme-fatale moments, but she’s a femme fatale with a
Occupation Nurse 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."[1]
According to Bailey Nicola’s best qualities the fact she is
Nicola West is a fictional character from the Australian
a sexy siren and a big trouble-maker.[3]
Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Imogen
When you first see Nicola, Bailey states: "If we were
Bailey. She made her on-screen debut on 5 May 2008. She
judging Nicola on first appearances I would say the word
departed the show on 8 October 2008. The character has
’Vixen’ describes her best".[7] She also defended the first
been central to many storylines including a HIV scare, in-
impressions of the character stating: "She is actually
cest and mental illness.
quite a multi-layered character and this made her really
interesting to play. She has a lot of emotional baggage
Character creation and casting from her childhood, she seeks constant validation from
men and is a pretty insecure and messed up woman at
Nicola was created as Miranda Parker’s (Nikki Coghill)
her core."[7] Of her sisterly image she states: "She plays
younger sister.[1] Model turned actress Imogen Bailey
the smiley happy-go-lucky sister and she causes lots of
was asked by producers to portray her.[2] Bailey got the
trouble in the street but what it all comes down to, for
part after her agent informed producers that she had
Nicola, is her deep need to find love. I guess in a way we
been taking acting classes for one year prior,[3] in De-
all have this need but Nicola’s quest for love really does
cember 2007 Bailey auditioned and impressed the casting
rule her life and causes her to make some wacky deci-
team so much that she received the part two days later.[3]
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nicola West
sions..."[7] Of her overall changes Bailey states: "She went becchi (Ryan Moloney) and Callum Jones (Morgan Baker)
through many highs and lows in the six months that I and moves in with them for a while.
played her and the end of her first chapter was pretty Nicola suffers a needle injury from Pete Ferguson
heavy, playing her emotional breakdown was exhausting (Kristin Holland), resulting in an HIV scare. She illegally
and challenging but I loved every minute of it."[7] takes a blood sample under Dr. Karl Kennedy’s name.
Pete tests HIV positive but Nicola’s result returns back
Incest negative. She is then run over by Donna Freedman (Mar-
In 2008 Nicola was involved in a controversial storyline got Robbie), who steals her father’s police car. She is in a
where it was revealed she had been pursuing a romance coma as a result and when she regains consciousness, she
with her adoptive nephew Riley Parker (Sweeney has amnesia, although Bridget suspects she is pretend-
Young).[5] Media reported the story after Australian con- ing, as does Steve. It slowly becomes apparent she is pre-
servative groups voiced their disapproval of the story- tending to make amends with Miranda who finds out and
line.[5] The media dramatised the plot in the wake of a kicks her out of the house.
real life case in which an Austrian man Josef Fritzl raped Nicola poisons Steve, who as a result ends up in hos-
his daughter, the storyline was likened to the real life pital. Miranda confronts Nicola, and Nicola knocks Mi-
case.[5] The Australian Family Association accused the randa to the ground. Nicola is taken away by police. Ni-
soap opera of using plots mirroring real life events to at- cola is sectioned and proved to be suffering from mental
tract viewers, branding them ’opportunistic’.[5] The pres- illness, believing she is Miranda and that Steve is her hus-
ident of its Queensland branch commented on the sto- band and Bridget is her daughter.
ryline adding: "Is Neighbours redefining itself as as some
kind of sick mockumentary? Incest is a very sensitive Reception
subject that I wouldn’t expect a prime-time program
aimed at children to be tackling. They are dealing with Nicola was well received by UK viewers and during a trip
young minds who can’t fully understand or analyse the to the UK, Bailey stated that she was overhelmed by sup-
issues."[5] Susan Bower defended the storyline stating: port for her character.[8] In 2009, Ruth Deller of enter-
"It is controversial, but all our stories are handled care- tainment website Lowculture praised Bailey’s portrayal
fully."[5] The storyline aired regardless of the criticism, of Nicola, citing her as the reason her on-screen family
in which Heather Pryor (Georgina Andrews) and Bridget became interesting, she said "Imogen Bailey has done a
Napier (Eloise Mignon) discover their affair. great job at playing slutty-and-bonkers-aunt Nicola over
the past year. She wasn’t exactly Izzy, but she made the
Parker family interesting, although the sudden sending
Storylines her into a basket case storyline hasn’t been as interest-
When Nicola first arrives in Erinsborough, she and Riley ing as when she was bitchy but loveable a few months
were revealed to have a past romance. When Riley tries ago."[9] TV Soap named Nicola one of Neighbours’ "greatest
to end it, he can not resist. They then decide to keep see- bitches". They said "This blonde bombshell tore up Erins-
ing each other secretly, despite the fact that she is his borough a couple of years ago, seducing her nephew, ru-
adoptive aunt and that Riley was in a relationship with ining her sister’s marriage and wrecking careers." [10]
Heather. Heather discovers their affair, ending her ro-
mance with him and he and Nicola keep their affair a se- References
cret, even though Riley had been reluctant to the idea.
She admits to having feelings for Steve Parker (Steve Bas- [1] ^ Casey, Marcus (7 May 2008). "Imogen Bailey talks
toni) before he and Miranda got married. Nicola later re- about the Neighbours learning curve". Herald Sun.
vealed she was only born so her parents could save Mi- http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/tv/
randa’s life when she was suffering from cancer, using baileys-learning-curve/story-
her cells to treat Miranda’s illness. e6frf9ho-1111116271325. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
After Bridget finds them kissing in Riley’s car, Riley [2] Kilkelly, Daniel (27 January 2008). "Bikini model
decides to leave for the Middle East to be a war corre- joins ’Neighbours’ cast". Digital Spy.
spondent – against his family’s will. He leaves a good- http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a87855/bikini-
bye note urging his family not to trust Nicola. After Ni- model-joins-neighbours-cast.html. Retrieved 30
cola kisses Steve and tells Miranda, Bridget tells Miranda April 2010.
of Nicola and Riley’s affair, Miranda throws Nicola out of [3] ^ Mciver, Brian (23 August 2008). "Sexy? I’m Just A
her home. Nicola reveals a secret in which Miranda used Nerd..". Daily Record.
to be in love with another man, subsequently splitting http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/comment/
them up. Nicola becomes good friends with Toadfish Re- columnists/showbiz-tv-columnists/brian-mciver/
2008/08/23/sexy-i-m-just-a-
nerd-86908-20708179/. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nicola West
[4] Welch, Andy (17 September 2008). "I’m not such a [7] ^ "Interviews > Imogen Bailey". Perfectblend. 21
good Neighbour". Manchester Evening News. February 2009. http://perfectblend.net/features/
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/ interview-bailey.htm. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
showbiz/s/ [8] Kilkelly, Daniel (8 October 2008). "’Neighbours’ star
1066982_im_not_such_a_good_neighbour. shocked by UK popularity". Digital Spy.
Retrieved 30 April 2010. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s14/
[5] ^ Davies, Hannah (11 May 2008). "Uproar over neighbours/news/a132069/neighbours-star-
incest storyline". The Courier-Mail. shocked-by-uk-popularity.html. Retrieved 30 April
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/uproar- 2010.
over-incest-storyline/story- [9] Deller, Ruth (14 January 2009). "Soapstar
e6freq7x-1111116301473. Retrieved 30 April 2010. Superstars: January". Lowculture.
[6] "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend Spoilers". http://lowculture.co.uk/index.php/2009/01/14/
Perfectblend.net. http://perfectblend.net/news/ soapstar-superstars-january/. Retrieved 17 May
spoiler/index2.htm. Retrieved 30 April 2010. 2010.
[10] Burfitt, John (7 July 2010). "Neighbours’ greatest
bitches". TV Soap (nextmedia): 20–21.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicola_West&oldid=433770951"
Categories:
• Neighbours characters
• Fictional nurses
This page was last modified on 11 June 2011 at 20:31. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of
the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.Contact us
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Mobile view
3