Nicola (played by Nicola Wheeler) has been left distraught in recent episodes of Emmerdale after she learnt Jimmy (Nick Miles) was involved in a car crash. Blinded by the sun, the latter’s van drove straight through the wedding barn where Paul Ashdale (Reece Dinsdale) and Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) were set to get hitched. During Thursday night’s episode, viewers of the ITV soap discovered Paul was killed in the accident but Liv Flaherty (Isobel Steel) and Jimmy were left fighting for their lives. However, could a clue from the instalment in question hint at Nicola’s husband having a brain injury that will cause his subsequent death?
What transpired in this week’s episodes was Nicola took action to ensure she and Jimmy had enough funds for their legal battle against Juliette Holliday (Amelia Curtis).
The latter has been toying with the couple as she wants custody of her son, Carl King, and when she derailed another business opportunity for the couple, Nicola teamed up with Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb).
However, when the schemer realised Jimmy’s wife might be double-crossing him, he held her captive in a van containing a refrigerator.
Playing his own games with the last surviving member of the King clan, Mackenzie rang the father-of-two and told him his wife was in trouble.
Jimmy wanted to rush to his other half’s aide but then received another phone call that Juliette was with his young son.
READ MORE: Emmerdale spoilers: Mandy Dingle to exit in double death twist?
The father-of-two was desperate to reach both his wife and his son but in the mad dash, he lost control of the vehicle and carnage followed.
After being knocked out briefly, Jimmy came around and called Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) to tell her there had been an accident at the wedding barn.
Once he’d finished the call, the King son could be seen clutching his head before passing out on the grass verge.
What he didn’t realise was Paul and Liv were inside the building and that a gas canister was ready to blow.
A decision like this could change the ruthless character in the future and the actor who plays Jimmy, Nick, has teased what his alter-ego’s partner would be like if he died.
The actor told Express.co.uk and other publications: “Jimmy’s quite good at keeping Nicola honest, most of the time.
“But he doesn’t always succeed. I think she could become very, very difficult without his calming influence,” he added of a possible transformation for Nicola.
Viewers will have to wait and see if the latter does descend down a very different path if her husband passes away.
Nick also spoke of why Jimmy and Nicola work so well together, explaining: “I’ve had a lot of conversations with the various producers over the years about why they can’t split [them] up.”
“And it comes down to the audience, it’s always about the audience. The [producers] just don’t think the audience will buy it because they buy the couple,” he continued.
“Even if the [audience is] not in a relationship like Jimmy and Nicola, they’ve seen one. I’ve seen a few and those people that still have so much energy so much crackle in their relationship, it’s often very disruptive energy.
“They’re often tearing lumps out of each other but the fire keeps them together. And I think we all know couples like that and we sort of celebrate them.
“That fire is something that people relate to and understand, and I think that is the secret to Jimmy and Nicola.”
Emmerdale continues tonight at 7pm on ITV.