Emmerdale legends talk heartbreaking end of Jimmy and Nicola - and what's next for Sadie King scheme

Actors Nick Miles and Nicola Wheeler have discussed saying goodbye to Jimmy King in Emmerdale and where Sadie King now fits in.

The ITV soap has ended the 17-year love story of Jimmy and Nicola when the character was recently killed off in a huge stunt.

Speaking to Radio Times in the Winners' Room following the Continuing Drama win for Emmerdale at the National Television Awards, actor Nick Miles revealed his glee at the soap winning amid Jimmy's exit from the show.

Miles said: "Not to talk about myself, but the clip they showed was my last ever Emmerdale, and so it's just a lovely, lovely way to end my 22-year Emmerdale story. So I feel on top of the world right now."

When I revealed that I cried during Nicola and Jimmy's imagined vow renewal sequence, Wheeler responded: "It's very sad, wasn't it?"

"Was a beautiful episode," added Miles.

When questioned further on what it was like to film, it seems it was both emotional but practically...a tad smelly.

"We cried," said Miles, "We cried a lot", with Wheeler agreeing.

She then added: "I'll tell you what it was like to film. It's a bit like in [the NTAs Winners Room]. It was in 30-degree heat, but it was beautiful. The art team had done a fantastic job with the marquee, and it did look gorgeous, didn't it? It was very technical with the dream sequence, and the other bits in the car were hot, sweaty, and smelt of cheese!"

Miles continued: "They packed a real picnic because Jimmy was planning a picnic, so there was a picnic in the car, and the cheese just started to pack up its bags and start to walk out. Yeah, and it stank like it became a smellier version a bit. I'd gone nose blind, but Nicola was nearly sick when she threw the car window for the first time."

The pair then reflected on how long they had known each other while working at Emmerdale and the lengthy on-screen marriage between their characters.

"We've been together 17 years in the show," recalled Wheeler. "We've known each other for Nick's whole 22 years in the show because I was in it a little bit before him, so we were good friends beforehand, but our characters never really interacted until we got together in the back of a van, and that was it. That's history."

Discussing the lengthy soap marriage for the pair, Miles joked about killing Jimmy: "What were they thinking of?"

When I asked the pair what would come next for Nicola following Jimmy's untimely demise, he then added: "She's already snogged somebody else!"

"It was grief-snogging," Wheeler responded wryly of Nicola's kiss with Kev (Chris Coghill). "It's not the same thing!"

"I think you go to the churchyard and you have a long word with Jimmy before you do," said Miles.

Following this, Nicola put to bed the idea that her on-screen counterpart would be moving on from Jimmy anytime soon.

"I think poor Nicola is going to be mourning the loss of Jimmy for a considerable amount of time," she predicted. "I know that there are rumours of romance and things like that, but I don't think that's on the cards yet. I think there'll be friendships before romance."

Talk then turned to the return of Patsy Kensit as Jimmy's scheming first wife, Sadie King, who is duping Nicola into believing that Jimmy was having a secret affair for years with his ex-wife.

However, despite being killed off before Sadie's return, Nick Miles revealed they did have some crossover behind the scenes during makeup and wardrobe.

"We had a big hug, and it was so lovely to see her again," he beamed. "But we don't do any scenes together. We had to do this weird thing with fake photos together, so we had some fun. It was so lovely to see her again, and you know she's going to be great fun. She's so camp and wonderful. You're going to love watching her in the show."

Given that Sadie is lying to Nicola, does Wheeler expect some scraps between Nicola and her hidden nemesis?

"Well, interestingly, the enemies kind of become frenemies, so they find a mutual friendship in their dislike of what Jimmy's done, sort of thing," she said. "So there's sort of a bonding that happens, but you'll have to wait in the future to see what else happens. Because let's face it, does Nico have to find out? She's going to have to find out sooner or later..."

Read more:

• Emmerdale star teases "rocky road" for Sarah Sugden - and reveals hopes for Debbie Dingle return
• Emmerdale airs dangerous Sadie King and Robert Sugden alliance in early ITVX release
• Emmerdale legend confirms clashes between Cain Dingle and Sadie King amid dramatic comeback

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.

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