Nicola Thorp

Nicola Sian Thorp (born 30 September 1988) is an English broadcaster, columnist, activist, and former actress. She is known for her role as Nicola Rubinstein in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2017–2019), as well as her contributions to the newspaper Metro and the programmes This Morning and Talk Today.

Nicola Thorp
Born
Nicola Sian Thorp

(1988-09-30) 30 September 1988
Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Other namesNicola Sian
Years active2012–present
PartnerNikesh Patel (engaged)

Early life

Thorp was born in Blackpool. Her family run a Blackpool rock factory founded by her grandfather in 1962.[1]

Thorp attended Arnold School, where she served as deputy head girl.[2][3] She studied acting at the Arts Educational School (ArtsEd) in London from 2007 to 2010.

Career

In 2018, Thorp competed for ITV in Sport Relief's "Clash of the Channels" boat race,[4] and started writing a regular column for freesheet Metro.co.uk, her first focusing on period poverty for women. Since 2019, Thorp has also been a regular contributor for This Morning.

Coronation Street

Thorp began appearing in Coronation Street as Nicola Rubinstein on 12 June 2017 as street villain Pat Phelan's (Connor McIntyre) daughter. Thorp's last appearance as Nicola Rubinstein was on 13 June 2018 at the conclusion of her storyline. On 11 November 2018, it was announced that Thorp would be reprising her role as Nicola, and she returned from 21 January to 1 February 2019.

Music career

In 2018, Thorp joined 26 other celebrities at Metropolis Studios, to perform an original Christmas song called Rock With Rudolph, written and produced by Grahame and Jack Corbyn. The song was recorded in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital, and was released digitally through independent record label Saga Entertainment on 30 November 2018 under the artist name The Celebs. The music video debuted exclusively with The Sun newspaper online on 29 November 2018, and had its first TV showing on Good Morning Britain on 30 November 2018. The song peaked at number two on the iTunes pop chart.[5][6]

Heels campaign

Thorp made headlines in 2016 after going public about an experience she had at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a temp worker: she was sacked as a temp receptionist in London after refusing to wear high heels, something mandated by her agency's "female grooming" policies at the time.[4] An online petition that she started to highlight the situation was subsequently signed by nearly 110,000 people in less than 48 hours.[7] The petition gained support from the media and members of parliament including Margot James, Caroline Dinenage, and Tulip Siddiq.[8] Thorp appeared on Good Morning Britain to talk about her petition and clashed with host Piers Morgan.

Thorp later appeared in front of a Parliamentary select committee to discuss the issue,[9] and wrote articles in newspapers laying out her stance that she is not anti-high heels, but merely that it should not be necessary for certain jobs.[10] As a result, the temp agency Portico changed its rules.[11]

Personal life

In a 2018 interview with Emma Barnett on Radio 5 Live, Thorp admitted to having been so depressed that it had led to a nervous breakdown six years before.[12] She has also revealed that she had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.[13]

As of 2018, Thorp lived on a canal boat, which she would regularly move to different moorings while using her parents' postal address.[4][1] Thorp supported and campaigned for the Labour Party in the run-up to the 2019 general election, believing a Labour government would revitalise seaside towns such as Blackpool.[14]

Thorp is engaged to actor Nikesh Patel,[15] having been in a relationship since 2021.[16] The couple took part in series five of Celebrity Hunted in 2023.[17] In September 2023, they announced they were expecting their first child.[18]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2013 Doctor Who Ellie Oswald Episode - "The Rings of Akhaten" (credited as Nicola Sian)[19]
2013 The Guilty Miss Bremner Three part serial[20]
2014 MUNCHIES Guide to the North of England Herself Episode 2 - "Northern Rock"[21]
2016 Father Brown Scarlett Finch Episode 5 - "The Hand of Lucia"[22]
2016 Doctors Jessica Nielson Episode 89 - "The Price of Memory"[23]
2017–2019 Coronation Street Nicola Rubinstein Regular role; 97 episodes[2]
2018 Rock With Rudolph Herself Music Video[24]
2020–2022 This Morning Herself Broadcaster
2022-2023 The Talk Herself Broadcaster
2023 Celebrity Hunted Herself
2023-present Talk Today Herself Co-anchor

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Result Ref.
2017 Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap Newcomer Third [25]
2018 The British Soap Awards Best Newcomer Nominated [26]

References
  1. "Nicola ready for new brush with fame on cobbles". Blackpool Gazette. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  2. Cryer, Anna (23 March 2018). "Corrie star to sleep on Blackpool streets". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  3. "Teen on mission to help others". Blackpool Gazette. 13 April 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  4. White, Vikki (17 March 2018). "Corrie's actress says her life as a star isn't glam when she lives on a boat". The Mirror. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  5. "TV stars sing for Great Ormond Street Christmas charity single". 30 November 2018.
  6. "The Celebs - Rock With Rudolph". YouTube. TheCelebsVEVO. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  7. "Woman's high-heel petition receives 100,000-plus signatures". The Guardian. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  8. "MPs back temp worker's campaign to end 'sexist' high heel policy". The Telegraph. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  9. "Workplace Dress Codes Committee, Select Committees - BBC Parliament". BBC. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  10. Thorp, Nicola (15 September 2016). "High heels campaigner: Why Theresa May shouldn't wear flat shoes in the name of equality". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  11. Malle, Chloe (8 November 2018). "Why Smart, Chic Women Are Abandoning High Heels (Forever)". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  12. Lindsay, Duncan (12 April 2018). "Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp speaks out about her nervous breakdown". Metro. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  13. Fitzpatrick, Katie (28 October 2019). "Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp wants to break the stigma around Borderline Personality Disorder". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  14. Bloom, Dan (12 November 2019). "Corrie star Nicola Thorp hits campaign trail for Labour and could even become MP one day". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  15. Cooper, Brenna (30 January 2023). "Coronation Street's Nicola Thorp announces engagement to Starstruck's Nikesh Patel". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  16. Patel, Natasha (27 April 2022). "Inside former Corrie star Nicola Thorp's romance with actor Nikesh Patel". OK!.
  17. "Famous Fugitives confirmed for new series of Celebrity Hunted for Stand Up To Cancer". Channel 4. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  18. Lewis, George (29 September 2023). "Coronation Street's Nicola Thorp expecting baby with Starstruck's Nikesh Patel". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  19. "Coronation Street: Pat Phelan's daughter's Doctor Who history REVEALED ahead of debut". Express.co.uk. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  20. Brent, Katy (19 February 2018). "Corrie's Nicola Thorp shares a little-known connection to Katherine Kelly". entertainmentdaily.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  21. Northern Rock: MUNCHIES Guide to the North of England (Episode 2), retrieved 13 August 2021
  22. "The Hand of Lucia, Series 5, Father Brown - BBC One". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  23. "The Price of Memory, Series 18, Doctors - BBC One". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  24. "The Celebs - Rock With Rudolph". YouTube. TheCelebsVEVO. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  25. Sandwell, Ian (29 December 2017). "Emmerdale almost achieves clean sweep at the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2017". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  26. Kilkelly, Daniel (2 June 2018). "British Soap Awards 2018 winners: Find out which of your favourite shows and stars won a trophy". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
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