Lexi Nicholls
Encyclopedia
Alexandra "Lexi" Claire King (nee Nicholls) is a fictional character
in the British
soap opera
Emmerdale
played by Sally Oliver
. She appeared from 2007 to 2009.
asks her to leave, but she tells him she is related to the family. While he goes to check, she climbs into the house via the kitchen window, and when she is found, Carrie Nicholls says Lexi is her younger sister. Lexi stays in Emmerdale, and Carrie insists she get a job. Lexi soon starts at "The Woolpack
" as a barmaid. While Carrie and Lexi have a difficult relationship, Lexi is close to Carrie's daughter Scarlett
, and also becomes friends with Chas Dingle
. Eli Dingle
discovers that Lexi was previously in prison in Mexico
. After leaving "The Woolpack", she gets a job at Eric's factory, and in late 2008, is appointed supervisor, over many more experienced and long-serving employees. This leads to resentment from the other workers, but things start to settle after a few months.
In September 2007, Lexi, Chas and Debbie Dingle
(Charley Webb
) steal a necklace worth £50,000 from a jewellery auction at Home Farm. Lexi cuts the power and, in the dark, Debbie snatches the necklace and hides it in her jacket. They then do a deal with Eric Pollard
and agree to split the money four ways. However, Debbie is not happy with this, so she and Eric concocted a plan to replace the necklace with a fake and keep the real one. They plan to sell it and split the money, unknown to Chas and Lexi, but Lexi hears Debbie and Pollard discussing this and they fight in the street. This ends when the necklace slips out of Lexi's hand and goes down the drain. Carrie is horrified at Lexi's behaviour and in despair, asks what had happened to her since their mother died. Lexi's response is to tell Carrie that their mother told Lexi that she was not her real mother. Lexi is in fact Carrie's daughter. Carrie gave birth to her when she was 14 and her parents had raised Carrie's baby themselves. Lexi wanted Carrie to acknowledge that they were mother and daughter but Carrie would not. She tells Lexi that her father was called Barry and was three years older than her. Carrie had been impressed with him because he had a car but she wasn't in love with him. Disappointed, Lexi leaves the village for a while.
Lexi begins sleeping with Ross Kirk
, not realising Chas, by now her best friend, is also sleeping with him. Carl sees them together and tells Lexi, who is furious and tells Chas. Chas sees that Lexi is interested in Carl King (Tom Lister
) and warns her to stay away from him. However, Lexi ignores her and sleeps with Carl, hoping he would help her become Scarlett's trustee at King & Sons. He does not and when Chas finds out about Lexi and Carl, she ends her friendship with Lexi. When Carl leaves King & Sons to work with Donald De Souza
, Matthew King blackmails Lexi into spying on Carl for him; if she refused, he would tell Scarlett about her being a former lap dance
r. Carl's ex, Chas, works out what Lexi is planning, and warns Carl but he hires her anyway. They soon begin sleeping together and, as she falls in love with Carl, Lexi is increasingly reluctant to work for Matthew. Carl finds that Matthew was using the proposals he had been working on and blames Jimmy King
. After punching Jimmy, he and Donald tell Carl the truth. Carl makes up with his brothers and Lexi loses her job. Although Carl is angry, they soon made up.
When Lexi returns from Carrie's wedding in Thailand
, she tells Carl that Carrie had told her about him murdering his father Tom King
. The revelation means Carl feels he has to stay with Lexi, despite being about to dump her for Anna De Souza
. By December 2008, Lexi is involved with many King's family activities and is living with them. After Matthew's death and the company going bust, they are forced to move into Mill Cottage. These changes make the family want to make a new start, and Scarlett wants to join her mother in Canada
, but Lexi persuades them to stay until the New Year, and they later decide not to leave the area. After a brief engagement, Lexi and Carl marry on 31 March 2009. The wedding almost does not happen, when Carl does not appear. Unknown to Lexi, he had been trying to persuade his former love, Chas, to be with him again. She refuses, so he goes ahead with the wedding.
In April 2009, Lexi tells Carl that she wants a baby. Carl unwillingly agrees. In June, Lexi discovers that she is pregnant but days later, collapses and is rushed to hospital, suffering an ectopic pregnancy
. A few days later, the consultant told Lexi that, because her remaining fallopian tube is badly damaged, she is unlikely to conceive naturally. He recommended she and Carl try IVF treatment
. Around the same time, Lexi lost her job when the factory closed. Carl refuses to go ahead with the IVF, finally telling Lexi that he does not want any more children. He suggests they separate if she wants children that badly but she decides that Carl means more to her than having a family of her own. However, on 13 August Lexi and Carl have an confrontation on the roof of the hospital where Nicola De Souza (Nicola Wheeler
) had recently given birth. Carl confesses he never loved her and only married her because she knew he killed his father. She then decides to leave the village.
praised Lexi's exit storyline branding it as heartbreaking, being her favourite storyline of the time, also stating: "Another character bowing out this month, but this time doing so in heartbreaking style. Sally Oliver’s portrayal of Lexi going through an ectopic pregnancy was fantastic, and the explosion of Lexi and Carl’s relationship provided a very emotional and well-written departure. Applause all round."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
played by Sally Oliver
Sally Oliver
Sally Oliver is an English actress who has been appearing in British soap opera Emmerdale since July 2007, playing the character of Lexi, the daughter of Carrie Nicholls and the sister of Scarlett Nicholls...
. She appeared from 2007 to 2009.
Character's history
Lexi first appears when she is hanging around Home Farm. Rodney BlackstockRodney Blackstock
Rodney Blackstock is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Patrick Mower.-2000–:When Rodney Blackstock turned up in Emmerdale, no one was more surprised to see him than his ex-wife Diane...
asks her to leave, but she tells him she is related to the family. While he goes to check, she climbs into the house via the kitchen window, and when she is found, Carrie Nicholls says Lexi is her younger sister. Lexi stays in Emmerdale, and Carrie insists she get a job. Lexi soon starts at "The Woolpack
The Woolpack
This article is about the soap opera. Click the link for the Cumulus cloud formation synonym.The Woolpack is a fictional public house on the popular ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Its sign is a wool bale, a popular symbol in sheep-rearing country. It has played host to many of the soap's storylines and...
" as a barmaid. While Carrie and Lexi have a difficult relationship, Lexi is close to Carrie's daughter Scarlett
Scarlett Nicholls
Scarlett Mary Nicholls is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is played by Kelsey-Beth Crossley and made her first appearance on 2 March 2007. It was announced on 8 May 2011, that Crossley was leaving the show. She made her final appearance on 28 July...
, and also becomes friends with Chas Dingle
Chas Dingle
Chastity "Chas" Dingle is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Lucy Pargeter.-Storylines:...
. Eli Dingle
Eli Dingle
Eli Dingle is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Joseph Gilgun. He first appeared on screen in the episode which aired on 13 July 2006 and made his last appearance on 30 April 2010.-Casting:...
discovers that Lexi was previously in prison in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. After leaving "The Woolpack", she gets a job at Eric's factory, and in late 2008, is appointed supervisor, over many more experienced and long-serving employees. This leads to resentment from the other workers, but things start to settle after a few months.
In September 2007, Lexi, Chas and Debbie Dingle
Debbie Dingle
Deborah "Debbie" Dingle is a fictional character in the British ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale. She is portrayed by Charley Webb...
(Charley Webb
Charley Webb
Charley Webb is an English actress. She is best known for portraying Debbie Dingle in the ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale.- Career :...
) steal a necklace worth £50,000 from a jewellery auction at Home Farm. Lexi cuts the power and, in the dark, Debbie snatches the necklace and hides it in her jacket. They then do a deal with Eric Pollard
Eric Pollard
Eric Charles Pollard is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Chris Chittell.Pollard has appeared on the show since 1986, making him the second longest running current character after Alan Turner who has appeared since 1982. He has lied to, cheated and swindled...
and agree to split the money four ways. However, Debbie is not happy with this, so she and Eric concocted a plan to replace the necklace with a fake and keep the real one. They plan to sell it and split the money, unknown to Chas and Lexi, but Lexi hears Debbie and Pollard discussing this and they fight in the street. This ends when the necklace slips out of Lexi's hand and goes down the drain. Carrie is horrified at Lexi's behaviour and in despair, asks what had happened to her since their mother died. Lexi's response is to tell Carrie that their mother told Lexi that she was not her real mother. Lexi is in fact Carrie's daughter. Carrie gave birth to her when she was 14 and her parents had raised Carrie's baby themselves. Lexi wanted Carrie to acknowledge that they were mother and daughter but Carrie would not. She tells Lexi that her father was called Barry and was three years older than her. Carrie had been impressed with him because he had a car but she wasn't in love with him. Disappointed, Lexi leaves the village for a while.
Lexi begins sleeping with Ross Kirk
Ross Kirk
Ross Kirk is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Samuel Anderson. He appeared from 2007 to 2009. A cousin of Paddy Kirk, Ross is a police officer and during his 15 months in the village he has an affair with Donna Windsor-Dingle, and is imprisoned after being charged...
, not realising Chas, by now her best friend, is also sleeping with him. Carl sees them together and tells Lexi, who is furious and tells Chas. Chas sees that Lexi is interested in Carl King (Tom Lister
Tom Lister
Tom Lister is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Carl King on the British soap opera Emmerdale.-Background:...
) and warns her to stay away from him. However, Lexi ignores her and sleeps with Carl, hoping he would help her become Scarlett's trustee at King & Sons. He does not and when Chas finds out about Lexi and Carl, she ends her friendship with Lexi. When Carl leaves King & Sons to work with Donald De Souza
Donald De Souza
Donald De Souza is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Michael Jayston. Appearing between 2007 and 2008, Donald De Souza arrives as the husband of Nicola Blackstock, although their marriage quickly falls apart...
, Matthew King blackmails Lexi into spying on Carl for him; if she refused, he would tell Scarlett about her being a former lap dance
Lap dance
A lap dance is a type of sex work performed in some strip clubs in which a naked or topless dancer performs an erotic dance either in immediate contact with a seated patron, or within a very short distance. With full-contact lap dances, the stripper may engage in non-penetrative sexual contact...
r. Carl's ex, Chas, works out what Lexi is planning, and warns Carl but he hires her anyway. They soon begin sleeping together and, as she falls in love with Carl, Lexi is increasingly reluctant to work for Matthew. Carl finds that Matthew was using the proposals he had been working on and blames Jimmy King
Jimmy King (Emmerdale)
James Frederick "Jimmy" King is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Nick Miles. He made his first appearance on 19 February 2004 and has appeared on the show ever since.-Backstory:...
. After punching Jimmy, he and Donald tell Carl the truth. Carl makes up with his brothers and Lexi loses her job. Although Carl is angry, they soon made up.
When Lexi returns from Carrie's wedding in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, she tells Carl that Carrie had told her about him murdering his father Tom King
Tom King (Emmerdale)
Thomas "Tom" Albert King was a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He appeared in the show from February 2004 to December 2006. Ken Farrington played him during the character's run.Tom grew up in Emmerdale and was keen to return...
. The revelation means Carl feels he has to stay with Lexi, despite being about to dump her for Anna De Souza
Anna De Souza
Anna Catherine De Souza is a fictional character on the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Emma Davies. She made her first appearance on 8 July 2008 and left on 6 January 2009.-Character creation and development:...
. By December 2008, Lexi is involved with many King's family activities and is living with them. After Matthew's death and the company going bust, they are forced to move into Mill Cottage. These changes make the family want to make a new start, and Scarlett wants to join her mother in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, but Lexi persuades them to stay until the New Year, and they later decide not to leave the area. After a brief engagement, Lexi and Carl marry on 31 March 2009. The wedding almost does not happen, when Carl does not appear. Unknown to Lexi, he had been trying to persuade his former love, Chas, to be with him again. She refuses, so he goes ahead with the wedding.
In April 2009, Lexi tells Carl that she wants a baby. Carl unwillingly agrees. In June, Lexi discovers that she is pregnant but days later, collapses and is rushed to hospital, suffering an ectopic pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy, or eccysis , is a complication of pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside the uterine cavity. With rare exceptions, ectopic pregnancies are not viable. Furthermore, they are dangerous for the parent, since internal haemorrhage is a life threatening complication...
. A few days later, the consultant told Lexi that, because her remaining fallopian tube is badly damaged, she is unlikely to conceive naturally. He recommended she and Carl try IVF treatment
In vitro fertilisation
In vitro fertilisation is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the body: in vitro. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed...
. Around the same time, Lexi lost her job when the factory closed. Carl refuses to go ahead with the IVF, finally telling Lexi that he does not want any more children. He suggests they separate if she wants children that badly but she decides that Carl means more to her than having a family of her own. However, on 13 August Lexi and Carl have an confrontation on the roof of the hospital where Nicola De Souza (Nicola Wheeler
Nicola Wheeler
Nicola Wheeler is an English actress, best known for playing the role of Nicola King in ITV's Emmerdale.She was born Nicola Hodge, but raised with the name Nicola Palmer...
) had recently given birth. Carl confesses he never loved her and only married her because she knew he killed his father. She then decides to leave the village.
Reception
In 2009 Ruth Deller of entertainment website LowcultureLowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
praised Lexi's exit storyline branding it as heartbreaking, being her favourite storyline of the time, also stating: "Another character bowing out this month, but this time doing so in heartbreaking style. Sally Oliver’s portrayal of Lexi going through an ectopic pregnancy was fantastic, and the explosion of Lexi and Carl’s relationship provided a very emotional and well-written departure. Applause all round."