After being fired from her job at PwC for refusing to wear heels to work, the Blackpool-born actress is about to make her Corrie debut as Pat Phelan’s (played by Connor McIntyre) daughter.
Ahead of her big entrance, the 28-year-old actress spoke to press including Express.co.uk about her campaign to change the law in what employers can ask their workers to wear.
She explained: “I’d actively been fired and I checked up on the rules; they can expect you to wear high heels because it’s everyday wear. I said it’s sexualised work wear and in terms of health and safety, they kill your feet.
“So I said I would try and change the law and I set up a petition, went on Facebook and went from there really,” Nicola continued.
She added that despite it being a “small issue”, the complaint was discriminatory, and she took it to parliament to debate.
Nicola revealed: “If I took it to tribunal then every woman in the country would have to, so I tried to change the law.
“The current government said that the law actually is sufficient; and they would – Theresa may does like a little kitten heel.
“I will defend her right to wear them, but maybe no other policies of hers,” the star swiped.
As she was about to start her role on the Cobbles, Nicola went on to admit that she had an “interesting” conversation with the behind-the-scenes teams.
“Nobody knew and I didn’t want to tell anyone,” she shared. “With any new job you worry about rocking the boat and had rocked the boat in my previous job.
“I was very proud of that campaign. Coronation Street has a history of strong feisty women and I told the press department that I’d done this thing and they said, ‘yeah, we’ve already Googled you,’ and I asks if it was okay and they said ‘of course’.
“[Costumes] called me and asked me what I wanted to wear and I said, ‘Is it okay if she doesn’t wear heels for a while?’
“They said, ‘Yeah, it’s really hard to walk in heels on the Cobbles!’
“I personally wear high heels for occasions and I’m sure if Nicola was to wear heels in the future that would be fine.
“It’s very different playing a character than being a receptionist,” Nicola continued.
Coronation Street continues tomorrow on ITV at 7.30pm.
Daily Express :: TV and Radio Feed
