Nicola Thorp Explained
Birth Name: | Nicola Sian Thorp |
Birth Date: | 1988 9, df=y |
Birth Place: | Blackpool, Lancashire, England |
Other Names: | Nicola Sian |
Years Active: | 2012–present |
Partner: | Nikesh Patel (engaged) |
Children: | 1 |
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.
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 Reliefs "Clash of the Channels" boat race, 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.[4] [5]
Heels campaign
Thorp made headlines in 2016 after going public about an experience she had at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a temp worker: she stated she was sent home unpaid from her work as a temp receptionist in London after refusing to wear high heels, something mandated by her agency's "female grooming" policies at the time. An online petition that she started to highlight the situation was subsequently signed by nearly 110,000 people in less than 48 hours. The petition gained support from the media and members of parliament including Margot James, Caroline Dinenage, and Tulip Siddiq. 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,[6] 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.[7] As a result, the temp agency Portico changed its rules.[8]
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.[9] She has also revealed that she had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.[10]
As of 2018, Thorp lived on a canal boat, which she would regularly move to different moorings while using her parents' postal address.[11] 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.[12]
Thorp is engaged to actor Nikesh Patel,[13] having been in a relationship since 2021.[14] They took part in series five of Celebrity Hunted in 2023.[15] In September 2023, the couple announced they were expecting their first child.[16] Their daughter was born in January 2024.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|
2013 | Doctor Who | Ellie Oswald | Episode - "The Rings of Akhaten" (credited as Nicola Sian)[17] |
The Guilty | Miss Bremner | Three part serial[18] |
2014 | MUNCHIES Guide to the North of England | Herself | Episode 2 - "Northern Rock" |
2016 | Father Brown | Scarlett Finch | Episode 5 - "The Hand of Lucia"[19] |
Doctors | Jessica Nielson | Episode 89 - "The Price of Memory"[20] |
2017–2019 | Coronation Street | Nicola Rubinstein | Regular role; 97 episodes |
2018 | Rock With Rudolph | Herself | Music Video[21] |
2020–2022 | This Morning | Herself | Broadcaster |
2022–2023 | The Talk | Herself | Broadcaster |
2023 | Celebrity Hunted | Herself |
2023–2024 | Talk Today | Herself | Co-anchor | |
Awards and nominations
External links
Notes and References
- News: Nicola ready for new brush with fame on cobbles. 12 April 2018. Blackpool Gazette. 30 June 2017. 13 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413185652/https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/whats-on/tv-and-film/nicola-ready-for-new-brush-with-fame-on-cobbles-1-8624628. live.
- News: Cryer. Anna. Corrie star to sleep on Blackpool streets. 12 April 2018. Blackpool Gazette. 23 March 2018. 13 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413185914/https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/whats-on/tv-and-film/corrie-star-to-sleep-on-blackpool-streets-1-9078912. live.
- News: Teen on mission to help others. 12 April 2018. Blackpool Gazette. 13 April 2007. 13 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413125118/https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/teen-on-mission-to-help-others-1-409960. live.
- Web site: TV stars sing for Great Ormond Street Christmas charity single. 30 November 2018. 31 March 2020. 18 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200218210344/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2018-11-30/tv-stars-sing-for-great-ormond-street-christmas-charity-single/. live.
- Web site: The Celebs - Rock With Rudolph . YouTube . 29 November 2018 . TheCelebsVEVO . 30 November 2018.
- News: Workplace Dress Codes Committee, Select Committees - BBC Parliament. 12 April 2018. BBC. 28 June 2016. 3 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160903184955/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07l3x8z. live.
- News: Thorp. Nicola. High heels campaigner: Why Theresa May shouldn't wear flat shoes in the name of equality. 12 April 2018. The Telegraph. 15 September 2016. 13 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413135515/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/high-heels-campaigner-why-theresa-may-shouldnt-wear-flat-shoes-i/. live.
- News: Why Smart, Chic Women Are Abandoning High Heels (Forever) . Malle . Chloe . Wall Street Journal . 2018-11-08 . 2018-11-09 . 8 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181108230219/https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-smart-chic-women-are-abandoning-high-heels-forever-1541704765 . live .
- News: Lindsay. Duncan. Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp speaks out about her nervous breakdown. 12 April 2018. Metro. 12 April 2018. 13 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413125134/http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/12/coronation-street-star-nicola-thorp-speaks-nervous-breakdown-7462542/. live.
- News: Fitzpatrick. Katie. Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp wants to break the stigma around Borderline Personality Disorder. 13 January 2020. Manchester Evening News. 28 October 2019. 13 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200113083656/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/nicola-thorp-coronation-street-corrie-17160102. live.
- News: White. Vikki. Corrie's actress says her life as a star isn't glam when she lives on a boat. 12 April 2018. The Mirror. 17 March 2018. 13 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413043517/https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/canal-cobbles-corries-nicola-thorp-12205080. live.
- Corrie star Nicola Thorp hits campaign trail for Labour and could even become MP one day. Daily Mirror. Dan. Bloom. 12 November 2019. 27 March 2023. 12 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191112225602/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-coronation-street-star-20869817. live.
- Coronation Street's Nicola Thorp announces engagement to Starstruck's Nikesh Patel. Digital Spy. Brenna. Cooper. 30 January 2023. 27 March 2023.
- Web site: Inside former Corrie star Nicola Thorp's romance with actor Nikesh Patel. OK!. Natasha. Patel. 27 April 2022. 26 May 2022. 26 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220526125630/https://www.ok.co.uk/lifestyle/nicola-thorp-boyfriend-nikesh-patel-26815158. live.
- Web site: Famous Fugitives confirmed for new series of Celebrity Hunted for Stand Up To Cancer . . 13 May 2023 . 10 March 2023 . 13 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230513155809/https://www.channel4.com/press/news/famous-fugitives-confirmed-new-series-celebrity-hunted-stand-cancer . live .
- Coronation Street's Nicola Thorp expecting baby with Starstruck's Nikesh Patel. Digital Spy. George. Lewis. 29 September 2023. 21 October 2023. 12 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231012153337/https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a45379640/coronation-street-nicola-thorp-nikesh-patel-baby-announcement/. live.
- Web site: The Rings Of Akhaten . . bbc.co.uk . BBC . 2 January 2024 . 1 April 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130401090520/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rx0lj . live .
- Web site: Brent. Katy. Corrie's Nicola Thorp shares a little-known connection to Katherine Kelly. entertainmentdaily.co.uk. 12 April 2018. 19 February 2018. 24 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180224163612/http://www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/tv/corries-nicola-thorp-shares-a-little-known-connection-to-katherine-kelly/. live.
- Web site: The Hand of Lucia, Series 5, Father Brown - BBC One. bbc.co.uk. 12 April 2018. 8 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170108044150/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087xf79. live.
- Web site: The Price of Memory, Series 18, Doctors - BBC One. bbc.co.uk. 12 April 2018. 23 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161023052431/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b080zc6b. live.
- Web site: The Celebs - Rock With Rudolph . YouTube . 29 November 2018 . TheCelebsVEVO . 30 November 2018 . 21 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201121070229/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzKdnHT1zqg . live .
- Web site: Sandwell. Ian. Emmerdale almost achieves clean sweep at the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2017. Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. 29 December 2017. 2 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181122130859/http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/feature/a845711/emmerdale-reader-awards-soap-winners-2017/. 22 November 2018. live.
- Web site: Kilkelly. Daniel. British Soap Awards 2018 winners: Find out which of your favourite shows and stars won a trophy. Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. 2 June 2018. 3 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181122130004/http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/news/a858581/british-soap-awards-2018-winners-list/. 22 November 2018. live.