Nicola Stapleton joins Emmerdale

Friends of Eli Dingle (Joseph Gilgun) usually amount to many a person’s worst nightmare, but Emmerdale fans are in for a pleasant surprise this September with the arrival of streetwise Londoner Danielle played by former Eastenders and Bad Girls favourite Nicola Stapleton.

A figure from Eli’s past, Danielle is the last person he expects to run into. But this is no happy reunion. When Eli practically runs her over outside the Emmerdale village he feels forced to offer her sanctuary. But is there more to this accident than first meets the eye? What is the truth behind their shared past and what secrets has Danielle brought with her for the future?

Nicola will be known to many soap fans for her role as Mandy in Eastenders, and has more recently appeared in Bad Girls, The Commander and The Last Enemy. She trained at the Sylvia Young theatre school before forging a successful career in television, film and theatre.

Nicola Stapleton says: “Danielle is such an intriguing character because there’s more to her than meets the eye. I’m really looking forward to starting filming and I think viewers can expect some interesting encounters as we explore the relationship between Danielle and Eli. I can’t wait to spend some time in Leeds and meet the rest of the cast.”

Anita Turner, Emmerdale Series Producer says “I’m so pleased to welcome an actress with Nicola’s calibre to the show. Eli likes to manipulate people, but Danielle is a different proposition and she’ll definitely get under his skin. ”