Exclusive: Emmerdale confirms Nicola and Kev's future amid romance rumours

Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Emmerdale producer Sophie Roper has revealed that the show isn't ruling out the possibility of a romance for Nicola King and Kev Barton.

Kev has been an unlikely source of support for Nicola since the tragic loss of her beloved husband Jimmy in August.

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At the height of Nicola's grief, she even made a drunken pass at Kev, but soon quickly pulled away in horror and asked him to leave.

Speaking exclusively to Inside Soap, Sophie revealed that show bosses are hoping to keep fans guessing with the 'will-they-won't-they' storyline.

"That dynamic is really beautiful," explained Sophie. "In the immediate future, we invest in Kev and Nicola's friendship. I think we're seeing them grow a really important bond.

"That's not to say that it won't evolve as we go into the future! But right now, Kev is just going to be Nicola's rock and a stoic support as she navigates her grief. That's really important, because Jimmy and Nicola were our beloved couple for so many years on this show.

"For Nicola to move on, that would be a huge decision and she's certainly not in the mind frame for that now. But what you will see is an incredible friendship that will have real depth and bring so much joy in the coming weeks and months."

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Sophie added that the Emmerdale team are keen to take a slow-burn approach with Nicola and Kev's connection to see how fans react.

"That's an absolute must," she said. "The more that you make the audience fall in love with them and want them to be together, it means that the moment that you get to that point, the pay-off has been worth the wait. They would absolutely fall into that category – if we choose to do that further down the line!"

Read Sophie Roper's full Emmerdale producer chat in the new issue of Inside Soap magazine, out now.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

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