Back in 2016, a temp receptionist was sent home from a London office for refusing to wear high heels. She launched a petition and received nearly 110,000 signatures in under two days. The petition was launched by Nicola Thorp, and that had more shape than any show she’d appeared in as an actor. Nicola went to play Nicola Rubinstein in Coronation Street and became a regular fixture on daytime TV.
Nicola Thorp then went on to write a newspaper column and more recently presented a podcast about the missing girl Charlene Downes from Blackpool. Whether you know her as an actor, an advocate or a broadcaster, she’s known for all three.
The high heels row that made her name
It was straightforward. After being told that she’d be sent home without pay from a temp receptionist position at PricewaterhouseCoopers due to her refusal to wear heels (a policy enforced by the agency under the “female grooming” standard), Thorp could have been silent. Instead, she signed her name on a petition, and it gained traction.
One or two MPs supported her, and she was even called to give evidence to a parliamentary select committee on the matter. She brought her case to breakfast TV as well, culminating in a clash with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain. Her stance was less sensationalist than the headlines would have you believe. She wrote: I wasn’t opposed to high heels. What I was opposed to was them being worn by choice in some jobs. The agency she was referring to, Portico, changed the policy.
Her agency biography states she also has a second campaign and a win, successfully advocating for stalking victims to be able to learn the name of their stalker, known as “Nicola’s Law”. This is discussed far less than the heels row.
Landing the Coronation Street role
She started in the acting world. After training at the Arts Educational School in London between 2007 and 2010, her early TV appearances and roles were fleeting but tangible. She featured in a 2013 episode of Doctor Who, as credited to Nicola Sian, and scored guest appearances in Doctors and Father Brown. Coronation Street.
She made her debut appearance as Nicola Rubinstein, the daughter of Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre), who was the worst bully in Coronation Street. How did she end up on the cobbles? A local publication revealed that she had auditioned for the series two years prior and had missed out on the role of Kate Connor to Faye Brookes. She also revealed she was concerned that her past campaigning might hinder her chances.
No. Her character was used to reveal Phelan’s crimes, and she left on 13 June 2018 at the conclusion of that storyline. Thorp posted on social media thanking the cast and crew for making the cobbles ‘feel like home’. She made a brief return to the role in January and February 2019 and appeared 97 times. She was shortlisted for Best Newcomer at the 2018 British Soap Awards.
A broadcaster first, an actress second
Following Corrie, Thorp increasingly turned to broadcasting and writing. In 2018 she started writing a weekly newspaper column, beginning with an article on period poverty, and from 2019 was a regular contributor on This Morning. Her agency profile states she has also discussed current affairs on Lorraine, BBC News and Good Morning Britain.
Her primary TV gig was at Talk TV. She hosted the channel’s Talk Today breakfast show alongside a previous run on The Talk. Politics has also been a no-secret move of hers. She endorsed Labour in the run-up to the 2019 general election, telling a TV interview: “I believe a Labour government in power can be good for seaside towns such as Blackpool.”
Almost everything Nicola Thorp writes about or does as part of her local charity work involves Blackpool in some way. Her agency describes her as an ambassador for Blackpool charities working with young people experiencing homelessness and addiction.
Charlene: Somebody Knows Something
Her main venture apart from the TV work is a podcast in the true crime genre. Charlene: Somebody Knows Something is about the disappearance of Blackpool teen Charlene Downes in 2003, aged 14. Thorp was the same age as Charlene when she disappeared and was from the same town.
The programme takes us through the early police investigation, the eventual trial of two men, and how the case has become a political football in recent years. As explained in the series notes, Thorp also interviews the senior investigating officer for an update on where the search for Charlene is now.
It is a very serious thing, and the series is marked as such. It is also a red flag for a change in her work. Thorp made a name for herself as a public figure who wasn’t shy. Now, she’s being asked to listen.
Speaking openly about mental health
Thorp has been open about her own mental health. In a 2018 BBC Radio 5 Live interview, she said depression resulted in a nervous breakdown six years earlier, and Nicola Thorp has also said she has borderline personality disorder, which she attempted to challenge the stigma of through her writing, and it became a recurring theme in her column.
Life away from the screen
Thorp is a businesswoman from Blackpool. Her family operates a rock factory her grandfather established in 1962. She attended Arnold School, where Nicola Thorp was head girl.
The show also revealed she’s led a very different home life from most of us. In 2018, she was living on a canal boat and was later made an ambassador for a canal charity, working to rid plastic from the waterways.
For the personal touch, Nicola Thorp married actor Nikesh Patel in summer 2024, following a relationship that started in 2021 and an engagement in early 2023. They appeared in the fifth series of Celebrity Hunted. The pair share a daughter, and Thorp has been relatively quiet about her family life.
What can’t be confirmed?
Some sites quote a net worth for Nicola Thorp. None of the figures I found came with a reliable source, so I’ve left them out. Other claims you’ll see online, such as old relationship details or her parents’ identities, also come from unreliable pages. Her own interviews and established outlets are the safer guides.
Why people keep searching for Nicola Thorp
Her journey is not easily shoehorned, and that’s the appeal. She is a soap actress turned activist, an activist turned journalist, a journalist turned investigative broadcaster. It was a single pair of high heels, a satirical newspaper advert and a single public stunt that opened all of those doors, but it was her subsequent journey that kept her there. For anyone who struggles to remember the name, Nicola Thorp is that thick Blackpool accent saying the right thing on the biggest possible platform.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Who is Nicola Thorp?
Nicola Thorp is an English broadcaster, columnist, campaigner and ex-actress from Blackpool. Thorp is famous for appearing as Nicola Rubinstein on Coronation Street and her 2016 campaign for no compulsory high heels in the workplace.
Why did Nicola Thorp start the high heels petition?
She was sent home from an agency as a temp receptionist in London, unpaid, for refusing to wear heels, as dictated by her agency’s dress code. Her petition attracted close to 110,000 signatures within 48 hours and prompted a parliamentary investigation.
What was Nicola Thorp’s character name in Coronation Street?
She played Nicola Rubinstein, the daughter of villain Pat Phelan. She joined the cast in June 2017, departed a year later, before returning for a brief stint in early 2019, appearing in a total of 97 episodes.
Is Nicola Thorp married?
Yes. She tied the knot with Nikesh Patel in summer 2024. The couple started dating in 2021 and got engaged in 2023. Also, they have one kid.
What is Nicola Thorp up to now?
We would describe her as a presenter, podcaster, and equality campaigner on her agency profile. She hosted the true crime series Charlene: Somebody Knows Something and has made frequent appearances as a TV pundit. Find out what she’s working on now on her official social media.
