Nicola Stapleton

Nicola Kathleen Stapleton (born 9 August 1974 in Elephant and Castle, London) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles in EastEnders as Mandy Salter and Emmerdale as Danielle Hutch. A graduate of the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Stapleton began her career at an early age, appearing in films such as Hansel and Gretel and on television in the children's show Simon and the Witch in 1987.

In 1992, she secured a high-profile role on British television as Mandy Salter in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 1994, Stapleton quit the role, but in 2011, returned to the role after 17 years. In 2012, she left the role for a second time.

Stapleton's other notable television roles include that of Janine Nebeski in ITV's Bad Girls (2005–06) and Joe Nardone in Channel 4's Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star (1998).

In 2017, she joined Thomas & Friends as the voice of Rosie, taking over from Teresa Gallagher in the UK and Jules de Jongh in the US. 28 October 2017 marked Nicola's third appearance in Casualty playing her third different character in the show.

Early Life
Stapleton was raised near East Street, which runs east to west between the Old Kent Road and Walworth Road in Walworth, south London. She and her younger brother Vince were born to working class parents, Kate, a cleaner from Scotland and Vincent Stapleton, who ran a car hire business.

She attended the Townsend Primary School in South East London, where her parents were advised by a teacher "to channel her energy into something positive." As a result, they sent her to the Corona Theatre School and Sylvia Young Theatre School, where Denise Van Outen and her future EastEnders co-star, Danniella Westbrook, were among her contemporaries.

Filmography
Octopussy (1983) as Little Girl in Circus

Hansel and Gretel (1987) as Hansel

Simon and the Witch (1987) as Sally

Emmerdale (2008-2009) as Danielle Hutch

EastEnders (1992-1994, 2011-2012) as Mandy Salter

Audrey and Friends (2000) as Audrey

Thomas & Friends (2017) as Rosie