Nicola De Souza

Infobox Emmerdale character 2

150px
name=Nicola De Souza
creator=Kieran Roberts
portrayer=Nicola Wheeler
years=2001–2006, 2007—
born= 13 May 1978
death=
home=Mill Brook Cottage
occupation=Businesswoman
family=
spouse= Donald De Souza (2007- Invalid;)
father = Rodney Blackstock
mother = Maureen Blackstock
halfsisters = Bernice Thomas
halfbrothers Paul Lambert
nieces = Gabby Thomas
Diane Jnr.
stepchildren = Miles De Souza
Anna De Souza
first=10 January 2001
last=

Nicola De Souza (neé Blackstock) is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera "Emmerdale". She is played by Nicola Wheeler from 2001-2006 and again in 2007.

Overview

Nicola Blackstock arrived after getting in touch with her father Rodney Blackstock, on 10 January 2001, who was attempting to reunite with his older estranged daughter Bernice Thomas, who had married just months before. On her first day, she befriended kindly post office assistant Emily Dingle and stayed with her father Rodney. She was nervous and anxious about meeting her older half-sister Bernice, whom she was desperate to make a good impression on.

Relationship with Carlos Diaz

Within months Nicola had taken an interest on Woolpack chef Carlos Diaz, whom unbeknown to everyone was having an affair with her married sister Bernice. She chased him for a while before eventually ending up in bed with him after one of Bernice's several attempts to dump him in order to work out her marriage with the local vicar Ashley Thomas. Scared that she might lose Carlos, Nicola announced that she was pregnant with his baby and was left stunned yet elated when he proposed to her, which she instantly accepted.

Wedding Day: Carlo's Infidelity

At her hen night she admitted to a heavily pregnant Bernice that she was not pregnant after her sister caught her consuming vast amounts of alcohol. Bernice then decided to take matters into her own hands and on Carlos and Nicola's wedding day on 4 October 2001, she got the couple together just before the ceremony and forced Nicola to tell Carlos the truth about her 'pregnancy'. Horrified by his fiancee's deception, a raging Carlos then informed a devastated Nicola that he had been having an affair with Bernice for months and he could possibly be fathering her unborn child. After a brief catfight with Bernice in the churchyard, Nicola stormed into the church and announced in front of a packed congregation that the wedding was off due to Carlos's infidelity with Bernice. Despite her mother's attempts to take her away from the village, Nicola continued to live with her father Rodney and eventually forgave Bernice after Carlos's departure, becoming godmother to Ashley and Bernice's daughter Gabby Thomas.

Nicola's once kind and friendly attitude towards the other village residents altered dramatically and she severed all ties with her all-too bland and boring friend Emily, although they later made up and Nicola became her bridesmaid when she married local vet Paddy Kirk in October 2002. She became an instant enemy of post mistress Vivian Hope, as well as local siren Chloe Atkinson and caused further heartbreak and sorrow to other residents when she seduced local teenager Robert Sugden, relieving him of his virginity. She became unpopular with his father Jack Sugden for having sex with the headstrong lad, and became the talk of the village when she set Robert up by inviting him round to her house where she was having sex with builder Syd Woolfe in the living room, which a devastated Robert witnessed through the window.

Nicola began a relationship with Syd, but it soon ended when she discovered that he'd been having sex with Chloe, who was dating Scott Windsor at the time.

Relationship with Simon Meredith

After successfully building up a cleaning business, in which she employed Pearl Ladderbanks, Betty Eagleton and Laurel Potts as her cleaners, Nicola met fishmonger Simon Meredith in November 2003 and after a bumpy start, they began dating. However during their relationship there was many obstacles, such as his ex-fiancee Tash Abbott and the arrival of his mother Lesley Meredith. Nicola was desperate to settle down with Simon and dreamed of the perfect marriage, but after the couple got engaged his mum continually managed to put a spanner in the works. It soon emerged that Lesley had stolen Kelly Windsor's credit card and eventually her debts began to mount up on her, which resulted in both Lesley and Simon losing everything, which meant that Simon and Nicola would have to postpone the wedding.

Getting bored with her relationship, Nicola hatched a plan to snare her half-brother Paul Lambert's bisexual lover Ivan, who was mates with Simon. After many failed plots to seduce him, Nicola made an attempt at plying Ivan with alcohol and then offering herself to him, a moment witnessed by Lesley. However, she failed to see that Ivan was actually furious at Nicola's deception and rejected her offer. Assuming that they were having an affair, Lesley informed her son about his fiancee's supposed infidelity. When the truth came out, Simon permanently ended their relationship and he and Ivan both left Emmerdale for good in August 2006. Nicola had now been disgraced due to her foolishness as she also had destroyed the relationship between Ivan and Paul. With both Paul and her father Rodney disowning her, a disgraced Nicola fled the village with her tail between her legs.

Nicola's Return

However in September 2007, Nicola returned to the village with a business proposition for David, the son of Eric Pollard.

Relationship with Donald De Souza

It emerged that Nicola had married the 75-year-old Mr. De Souza, a millionaire tycoon, and within a matter of months he had died and she had become his widow, inheriting his millions. She had used some of the money to restore her cleaning empire and was now threatening to put the Pollard's out of business. After a few meetings with David, she arrived in the village to a very unenthusiastic response, as it was clear that both Rodney and Paul had not forgiven her.

Relationship with David Metcalfe

Nicola began pursuing David Metcalfe even though he was already in a relationship with Jasmine Thomas. Jasmine released her article revealing that Donald was still alive, a disgusted Rodney confronted her. Nicola later asked David where his loyalties lay, he said that they were with her and Nicola turned on the charm which made David give into the temptation. Jasmine came in and discovered that David had slept with Nicola, later in the pub David said that he hadn't regretted what happened with Nicola who said that they should wait until Donald dies then she would go public that they were a couple and would claim all of Donald's money to have the perfect life.

Nicola's Plans

In October 2007 it is set to be revealed that Nicolas apparently deceased husband Donald, is in fact not dead, but in hospital, in a coma after suffering a brain haemorrhage, after Jasmine Thomas took a photo of the hospitalised old man on her mobile phone. Why has Nicola told everyone in Emmerdale that he's dead? Well in Donald's will it says that if Donald's alcoholic son Miles is still drinking alcohol when he dies, all his money will pass on to Nicola. So evil Nicola is determined to prove that Miles, who Nicola has no of his whereabouts, is still drinking, and only then she will allow the hospital to switch off Donald's life support. However, Jasmine intends to ensure Miles kicks his habit to stop Nicola inheriting.

Donald Wakes Up

On 28 December 2007 Nicola and her current toyboy David Metcalfe were both called into the hospital as there was apparently a significant change in Donald's condition. Arriving at Hotten General, Nicola found her husband seemingly still unconscious. After exploding about how there was never a better time for De Souza to die Nicola was stunned to find De Souza was fully concisous and aware of her scheme. De Souza pretended to be unable to remember Nicola and spent a happy evening chatting to his son Miles. It would appear that Donald De Souza is every bit as devious as his despicable money grabbing wife. A further flaw in Nicola's plot is that Miles is seemingly on "the wagon" and hasn't touched a drop of alcohol for two weeks.

Donald persuaded David to end his relationship with Nicola with a very good job opportunity. Whilst attempting to win David back, Nicola also tried several different avenues of killing Donald, from trying to poison him to tearing the carpeting in the staircase to electrocution via his toy train set. All these attempts were foiled in one way or another, and finally, a frustrated David, who did not want to see Nicola go to prison or Donald die, told Donald the truth.

Nicola's Murderousness

Realising Donald was well on his way to making a full recovery, Nicola began formulating plans for his murder so she could claim his fortune, and even tried roping lover David Metcalfe into the scheme. Despite his initial disgust, she eventually coerced him into helping her, although he soon backed out again following several bungled attempts at slaying her husband. Fearing she might actually go through with killing Donald, David sabotaged a couple of her plots, including an attempt at electrocuting him with a rigged train set. Knowing that Nicola would keep on trying until she got a result, David eventually told Donald who, after initially disbelieving him, came up with an idea to try and prove weather or not his young wife was a potential murderess. He organised a walk along some local cliffs for just the two of them, giving her a perfect opportunity, then confronted her on the Yorkshire moors about her dark plan. She confessed everything and even tried saving his life when it looked as if he might fall for real, but, despite not turning her into the police (whom Miles had called earlier), Donald threw her out of the house, and David refused to give her another chance.

Back to Basics

Rodney, not knowing about the murder scheme, took pity on her and rented Mill Brook Cottage for them to share, as long as she agreed to pay half the rent. She asked David for a job; all he offered her was scrubbing the floors. She temporarily worked for him but soon quit in order to work for Paddy Kirk at the vets. Paddy had never really wanted to hire her and soon tired of her, but she then accidentally smashed the car trunk into his hand, meaning he had to keep her on a while longer.

Nicola spent most of her time with Rodney, and attempting to claw her way back to respectability. When celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson visited the Woolpack, Nicola tried to get to know him, and by the next day was bragging to the pubgoers that they were going to work together. She was shown up when Bob said Anthony's people had left her a message asking her to stop calling and bothering him.

Nicola's Muse: Dog-sitting?

In June 2008 Nicola became a dog-sitter, and soon found herself up to her head in dogs. This was unpopular with father Rodney, with whom she shares a cottage. It is this profession however that has reconciled her with David Metcalfe.

Gabby's Book and Nicola's Scheme

She came up with an idea to publish her dad's Rollercoaster Rod stories, written for Gabby. She sent them to a publisher and they will be published in March 2009. She will get no money until then. When Rodney found out, he kicked her out of their home. She is now staying with Edna Birch.

References