Nicky in Emmerdale slunk off in disgrace after jilting poor Gabby at the altar. And when he came back, it was with disastrous consequences – for his dad at least! Because Nicky was the one to push Caleb over the ravine, leaving his life hanging in the balance.
With Caleb fighting for life in hospital, things aren’t looking good for the newest Tate on the block, and that means Nicky’s facing an uncertain future, too. Especially now he’s just spilled the beans about his guilt to his unconscious dad.
Will Caleb survive? And did he overhear what Nicky had to say in tonight’s episode?
We sat down with Lewis Cope, who plays Nicky in Emmerdale to find out exactly what he’s been up to.
“Nicky left the village on his wedding day, then he came back to make amends with his father,” explains Lewis. “But when he comes back, he found out that Caleb’s bought Mill Cottage. Not only bought it, paid over asking price. It turns out he’s always had more than enough money.”
And that made Nicky see red – because he thought the revenge plot was all about cold, hard cash.
“Caleb lied to Nicky, saying he had no money and Nicky’s mam was going to lose her house – that was the reason they were getting revenge, to look after Nicky’s mam,” says Lewis.
Getting revenge
With Nicky finally knowing the truth, he took drastic action!
“He followed Caleb into the woods, but then it was just a spur of the moment thing,” Lewis tells us. “He’s been backed into a corner. He felt betrayed and he made a decision – anger gets the better of him.”
Of course, the push had terrible consequences, with Caleb ending up lifeless at the bottom of the ravine. And now he’s finally made it to hospital, it is touch and go whether he he’s going to pull through.
Is Nicky sorry for what he’s done?
“The moment he pushed him he felt massive regret,” Nicky shares. “But also relief because his dad’s manipulated him for so long and betrayed him. He still loves his dad, and it would be tragic if he was to die. Plus, of course, if they find out it was Nicky who pushed Caleb, he could go to prison.”
Bad lad?
Of course, pushing anyone off a ravine – even someone who’s been up to as much bad stuff as Caleb has – isn’t the best idea. But we get the impression, Nicky’s not a bad lad. Not really.
“I think he’s redeemable because the lies are not really Nicky’s lies,” Lewis says. “All this has been fed to him by his dad. He’s just been the middle man. I don’t think it’s actually his thoughts or his feelings.”
And, of course, Lewis points out, Nicky is scared of his dad. “There have been plenty of scenes where he’s tried to stand up to him but he never seems to succeed,” he says. “So he definitely feels inferior to Caleb.”
It’s not good, whatever way you look at it.
Happy ever after?
Is there any chance of a happy ending for Nicky after all this drama? How about the chance of romance with Ally?
“Nicky loves Ally. Nicky would happily get with Ally and spend his life with him,” admits Lewis. “But Ally doesn’t seem interested.”
And what about his relationship with his dad?
“I’d like to think they could resolve it, but from Caleb’s point of view, Nicky’s messed up his plan for revenge, and tried to kill him! There’s a mountain to climb before Caleb will forgive.”
Read more: Complete Emmerdale cast list 2023 – meet them all here!
Emmerdale usually airs on weekdays at 7.30pm, with an hour long episode on Thursdays.
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