Emmerdale's Nicola King 'set for new village romance' but not with Kev

Emmerdale viewers believe they have figured out who Nicola King's next love interest in the village could be. Nicola (played by Nicola Wheeler) first appeared on the long-running soap back in 2011. As the village's resident gossip, Nicola swiftly established herself as a firm favourite amongst the show's devoted fanbase.She has also been central to numerous major storylines. From her harrowing experiences with physical and psychological trauma to her cherished relationship with Jimmy King (Nick Miles), Nicola's time in the Dales has been anything but uneventful.

Of late, Nicola has been navigating the return of Kev Barton (Chris Coghill), who arrived back in the village hoping to forge a bond with his biological son, Lewis (Bradley Riches). Her marriage to Jimmy has also hit a rocky patch, with Nicola desperately trying to reignite the flame between them, reports the Daily Star.

Furthermore, earlier this year it was reported that Jimmy King was set to be written out of the soap after many years on screen. Speculation has mounted that his departure could be linked to the return of Jimmy's former wife, Sadie King (Patsy Kensit), which was also recently confirmed.

While some viewers believe Nicola could pursue a romance with Kev following Jimmy's potential demise, others have put forward an altogether unexpected candidate.

Posting on an Emmerdale Facebook fan page, viewers have tipped Jai Sharma (played by Chris Bisson) as a possible match. One fan commented: "Nicola and Jai should get together when Jimmy dies." Another commented: "Yes they would be good together." Sharing the same sentiment, a third chimed in: "Wouldn't be the strangest soap pairings!".

Both Nicola and Jai are long-standing members of the soap's cast, having shared numerous dramatic plotlines, workplace clashes and neighbourly tensions over the years.

Meanwhile, earlier this year it was reported that Jimmy was set to be written out of the show. A source told The Sun: "Bosses are under pressure to cut costs and sadly that means popular cast members being told their time is up."

They also claimed: "Once the decision was made that Nick would be leaving, the writers quickly realised his character wouldn't abandon his wife and children so they had to kill him off."

Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX