Laura Doddington almost gave up acting for very different career before EastEnders

Laura Doddington has quickly become a soap favourite after in . Since then her character has been embroiled in a murder and this week an historic affair was uncovered which blew up some major drama.

With the makings of a true soap matriarch - it’s no surprise Laura, 44, has found herself nominated for Best Newcomer atBut before bagging her dream role, the actress of 22 years admitted she mused the idea of changing careers after thinking her big break wouldn’t come.

“The industry is hard at the moment,” admitted mum-of-one Laura. “Before this audition came through, I'd been looking at retraining to do something else, I've got a young kid. And that makes you think about their future and stability for them.”

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Having previously starred in Doctors, Holby City and Casualty as well as on the stage - the lead role Laura had hoped for just wasn't coming.

“I cut my son's hair and I'm sort of reasonably good at it, so I thought that might be an option,” she mused.

“I was in Prime Suspect when I was in my 20s and The Midwich Cuckoos, but they weren't massive parts. I was beginning to think it might not be possible to have that lead role.”

But she got the breakthrough she wanted so much, landing the part of the latest fiesty Mitchell woman, Nicola, nine months ago. And Cambridge-born Laura made an immediate impression.

“I’ve been a jobbing actor for 22 years and over that time you deal with really amazing highs, but also lows,” explained Laura. “Missing out on jobs, not even getting seen for jobs. So when I got the part, especially as I'd been in it before for a fleeting moment, I was ecstatic.

“I’m really lucky that Chris Clenshaw took a punt on a jobbing actor and gave me the chance. This came at the right time. It feels incredible.”

She says her audition process was an emotional rollercoaster - fearing she’d missed out on the chance of a lifetime. “I didn't hear anything for four weeks,” recalled Laura.

“I thought it had gone to someone else. Unfortunately in this industry when you get to over the age of about 35 and you haven't made a name for yourself, the interesting roles sort of start drying up. It's just the way that it is and the way the is a little bit. That’s why I love soaps and continuing dramas as they champion individuals of all ages and put characters at the heart of storytelling.”

Writing the opportunity off initially, eventually the call came through and Laura had got the part. “When I found out there were a lot of tears and a lot of expletives!” she laughs.

Stepping out on the Albert Square set for her first scenes as Nicola, Laura said she was full of nerves. But said soap stalwart Adam Woodyatt, who was her mentor was on hand to steady them.

“He was amazing,” smiles Laura. “He came in, he was on set on my first day in case I had any questions. It was his day off, bless him. Everyone on the are so welcoming and kind. It was also daunting doing scenes with soap legends as colleagues.

“Seeing Steve (McFadden), Letitia (Dean) - it was just like, ‘Oh my god’. But they are amazing. And the boys, Roland, Elijah and Lewis, they were awesome. We gelled so quickly.”

The new Mitchells - Teddy (Roland Manookian), and his sons Harry (played by Elijah Holloway) and Barney (played by Lewis Bridgeman) - arrived in Walford in June causing shockwaves when it was revealed they were Stevie’s secret family. Mum Nicola joined later, having spent time behind bars for injecting unlicensed filler.

Earlier this month she confessed she’d murdered Harry’s girlfriend Shireen to her son. She did it to conceal how Teddy is not Barney's real father – Zack Hudson ( ) is.

The paternity bombshell was exposed this week leading to Harry kidnapping Zack to stop him telling Barney and the pair crashing into a lake. Tonight’s episode sees Zack still missing and feared dead.

Laura says it can be intense filming dramatic scenes and often likes to lighten the mood in between takes.

“The boys and I often burst into song between takes,” she revealed. “It’s hilarious when you belt out a tune and no one else joins in and you're like, ‘That song was too random’.

“I’m high energy, a bit like a cocker spaniel most of the time. Then I realise that I have to portray the character and I'll take a minute to focus and get into Nicola's head.

Although very different to her villainous character, Laura says they do share one quality. “I relate to her protectiveness of her children."

Letting her young son watch her EastEnders entrance last year - it was the first and last episode he’s seen. Laura recalled: “He turned to me and he said, ‘Mummy, you're not very nice in this, are you?’

“I went, ‘No I'm not, lovely’ And he asked, ‘Do you mind if I don't watch it?’ in my head I was going, ‘Thank God - I mean you were never gonna watch it!’.”

One thing she will let him watch is mummy's appearance at the Soap Awards.

Laura is up against Jacob Roberts as ’s Kit Green, Shebz Miah and ’s Kammy Hadiq and Isabelle Smith and ’s Frankie Osborne.

“When you've been doing something for a really long time and then suddenly someone acknowledges it… it’s special,” she beams.

“I was really overwhelmed by it because I wasn't expecting it. I spent a lot of that first day bursting into tears - and I'm not a crier.”

Gracing her first event red carpet, she says she’s both excited and nervous.

“I’m a little bit of a clown,” admits Laura. “I’m slightly worried that I might, in my head, think it's funny on the red carpet to pull a stupid face and then it's there for forever, isn't it?

“I’m really worried about tripping. It's probably gonna be me that falls flat on her face on the red carpet in front of everyone. But I can’t wait to celebrate EastEnders and all the other amazing people and shows.”

With a murder, an affair and huge family secret now exposed, is there a future for Nicola on EastEnders? “There's always redemption,” Laura jokes.

“The knock-on effect of the secret of 16 years coming out would bring drama to anyone's life. In Nicola and the boys’ case I think there’s a journey to be had in that. It’ll be interesting to see what she would do in a situation, how she repairs it with Barney.”

Hoping to become an EastEnders favourite for years to come, Laura vowed: “I don't want to go! But in the end that's not up to me. Everything is finite. I will just enjoy every moment that I'm here.”

The Soap Awards will take place on Saturday at Hackney Empire, London and will broadcast on at 8pm on June 5. To vote, visit . Voting closes on Friday.

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