EastEnders actress unrecognisable living a very different life 27 years on from soap
Carly Hillman left her role as Nicki di Marco in EastEnders in 2000. and after playing a teen she now has a family of her own and many feathers in her cap
Carly Hillman had shocking plotlines during her time on EastEnders, but she’s now left acting behind
EastEnders star Carly Hillman is living a completely different life after leaving the soap a quarter of a century ago – and looks better than ever.
Carly, 41, took on the role of Nicky di Marco in the BBC soap in 1998. Nicky was the younger sister to protective older brothers Beppe and Gianni, and best pal of long-running character Sonia Jackson.
Despite her loving family and friends, Nicky found herself in some heartbreaking situations as a teen. Her mum Rosa decided to hire Nicky a tutor, Rod Morris, to help her pass her maths GCSE after seeing that her grades were too low.
Tragically, the schoolgirl tried to seduce the teacher, and after she tried to kiss him he sexually assaulted her. Nicky ran home to tell her family, prompting big brother Gianni to visit Rod and brutally physically assault him.
EastEnders star Carly now focuses on music over acting, delivering live performances at weddings and parties across southern England ( Image: Instagram/@carltprobert1)
Known as a troubled teen on the soap, Carly now has two daughters of her own – without the drama of Nicky’s storylines ( Image: Twitter)
After Nicky explained the full story but her family didn’t believe her she chose to move into a youth hostel – leading to her (and Carly’s) exit from Albert Square in 2000.
Years later, Carly focuses on music over acting. On her website, she advertises: “Carly Hillman is a professional female singer providing live entertainment for your wedding, party, bar, restaurant, or any other function across Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, London and Kent.”
The site adds: “Carly’s live singing performances can cover most musical genres including pop music, R&B, soul, disco, or ballads. Carly’s vast experience as a live performer has given her a great understanding of what’s required to make any event an occassion to remember. “
Before focusing on musical performances, Carly stayed in acting and musical theatre for several years. She appeared in Harry and Cosh in 2002, and then went on to gain TV and theatre credits in shows such as Celebrity Britain’s Best Dish, Soapstar Superchef and leading roles with RJ Williamson Shakespeare Company, New Vic Workshops and Ian Dickens Productions.
Like many former soap stars, Carly also enjoyed many stints on the pantomime circuit, appearing in Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Aladdin, Dick Whittington and Snow White alongside the likes of Danny La Rue, Jim Davidson, Bradley Walsh, Joe Pasquale, Stephen Mulhern and other stars.
Carly also pursued a musical career in the early 2000s, releasing the song Mutual as part of the British R&B group Urban Lady in 2003. On Carly’s site, the impressive era describes how “she performed at major venues all around the UK, supporting various popular artists.”
The Essex-born star also started her own performing arts school, Act One Stage School based in Romford. In 2009, Carly took a break from her career to focus on her family life – welcoming two daughters into the world with her husband Ben Probert.
