Nick Miles and Nicola Wheeler broke down in tears on their final days filming together on Emmerdale. The ITV soap aired heartbreaking scenes as Jimmy King died after two decades in the Dales, bidding a devastating farewell to Nick, who played Jimmy King alongside Nicola's character.
Emotional Farewell After 22 Years
Of working alongside Nicola, Nick said: "Playing opposite Nicola has been a joy. We had such fun exploring their relationship - the deep love beneath the surface-level bickering and moaning really struck a chord with the audience."
He added: "Off-set, we were like an old married couple, warming up our banter in the makeup room before heading to the studio floor. I will miss working with her enormously; we both cried on my last day, but we remain firm friends."
Filming the Final Scenes
Nick explained how difficult it was to film the final scenes together after so long, including the emotional dream scenes. "The final filming days were tough but beautifully written. We spent an entire day shooting an intense dream sequence, and I'm thrilled with such a lovely exit," he said, before revealing what he took from set: "I took a few items to remember my time, including my dressing room star and my suit, which costume kindly let me keep."
Nick is departing the soap as a very different character from when he joined in 2004 as one of the villainous King brothers. Speaking about his exit, he said: "It's strange to be leaving, as Emmerdale has been a huge part of my life since I joined in 2004. I've always known that being a King meant Jimmy was a precarious character, so while the news was shocking, it makes sense."
Character Transformation and Legacy
Nick said Jimmy was originally a tough, unkind character - part of a family of snakes. The turning point was the house collapse. He said after that house collapse all those years ago, he felt his character needed a big shift - and he didn't think he would have survived so long on the ITV soap without it.
"I realised Jimmy needed an epiphany to survive. I took the idea of him becoming a softer, more comedic man to the producer, Kath, and she agreed. Without that shift, I think he would have been written out years ago," he said.
Despite his exit, Jimmy's legacy lives on - and it seems he's left quite the headache for Nicola. "As to the mess that Jimmy's death has left. Poor Nicola is going to be deeply frustrated with him for getting into such a pickle financially and for having sold out to Ruby and Caleb. I think he deeply regrets that. And if he could have just involved Nicola in his dealings, none of that would have happened," he explained.
Patsy Kensit is, of course, reprising her role as Sadie King, and Nick was glad to see her on set before her departure. He said: "Before I left it was lovely seeing Patsy Kensit back again and we caught up in the make up room although this time around we didn't share any scenes."
"Looking ahead, I'm excited for new adventures. I'd be happy to return to playing coppers and thugs, and I look forward to watching Emmerdale to see how Nicola handles the mess Jimmy has left behind."
