Watch out Walford – there’s a brand new Mitchell in EastEnders this week, as Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) makes her bombshell debut.
Her arrival spells trouble for the iconic soap family, as she soon begins making her mark on Albert Square.
But who is the Mitchell newcomer, and how is she connected to the family?
Here’s the lowdown…
Who is Nicola Mitchell in EastEnders?
Nicola Mitchell is the ex-wife of recent arrival Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian) and the mother to Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) and Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman).
The trio were introduced to EastEnders earlier this year after it was revealed Billy Mitchell’s (Perry Fenwick) father Stevie (Alan Ford) had a secret second family.
Billy’s brother and his sons have quickly established themselves in Walford, with Teddy buying killer Gray Atkins’ (Toby-Alexander Smith) old house and Harry landing a job working for second cousin Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) at The Arches.
Nicola has been mentioned numerous times over the last few weeks, with Barney going to stay with her after falling out with his dad and brother.
It has been hinted at that Harry and Barney have a somewhat complicated relationship with their mother, as they have been estranged for a while.
Barney has been led to believe Nicola was spending time in Bali – although it has been hinted at by Teddy and Harry that may not quite have been the case…
What happens when Nicola Mitchell arrives in EastEnders?
Nicola rocks up in Albert Square just as Harry is about to be arrested.
As fans know, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) has been investigating the disappearance of Harry’s ex-girlfriend Shireen. Of course, the copper has an ulterior motive for wanting Harry sent down, as he has been blackmailing Jack with footage of an earlier altercation they’d had.
Nicola sets about trying to help her son and soon clashes with Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine), who has been working with Harry to get revenge on her dad Jack.
We also know that Nicola is desperate to reunite with Teddy, who is spooked to see his ex on the Square.
She will have fun trying to wind him up, and it looks like she is about to buy Peggy’s from under her ex, who has been desperate to snap up the local club.
Nicola also soon crosses swords with former Mitchell matriarch Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) after finding out that she and Teddy have been flirting.
Who plays Nicola Mitchell in EastEnders?
Nicola Mitchell is played by actress Laura Doddington, who has previously starred in the likes of Doctors and Holby City.
Her casting was announced last month, with Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw saying in a statement: ‘Like all the great Mitchell women, Nicola is feisty, strong and loves her family. She and Teddy share a very complicated history, which will be fun to explore, as will her relationships with her two sons.
‘We’re delighted to welcome the fantastic Laura Doddington to EastEnders to bring Nicola to life.’
What has Laura Doddington said about her role as Nicola Mitchell in EastEnders?
‘She wants her family back as a unit. She wants to show her children that she is supportive and loves them very much’ Laura has revealed.
Of Nicola’s relationship with Teddy, she said: ‘They were definitely not what we would call a functioning couple. Nicola is quite manipulative with most people, but she can’t manipulate Teddy as well as she used to, and that infuriates her.’
‘And her way of doing that is to come in and fix things. She’s a fixer!’
She’s also teased electric scenes with Letitia Dean, who plays Sharon, saying: ‘Our first scene contains a line that’s my favourite I’ve ever said on screen!
‘Nicola is not a woman’s woman, and she’s just not interested in women, not interested in female friendships, not interested in that support network.
‘Once she finds out that Sharon and Teddy have a flirtation, she sees Sharon as an obstacle to overcome and starts thinking how to scupper things between them.’
