Nicola Duffett takes on Coronation Street role

The actress is best known for her roles in EastEnders and Family Affairs.

Nicola Duffett has joined the cast of Coronation Street to play Yasmeen Metcalfe’s (Shelley King) cellmate Lucie.

Yasmeen is facing a long stretch behind bars after stabbing her abusive husband Geoff (Ian Bartholomew) with a broken bottle. When Geoff moots dropping the charges if she takes him back, Lucie hands Yasmeen a contraband phone and urges her to show him who’s boss.

Duffett previously appeared in the ITV soap in May 2015 as Mrs Bird, the chief officer for environmental health at Weatherfield Council. But the actress is best known for her earlier soap roles including EastEnders‘ Debbie Bates. Debbie arrived in Albert Square in 1993, catching the attention of Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) at a house party. Their romance wasn’t plain-sailing; Debbie first had to extricate herself from a troubled marriage.

The couple were wed in 1994, but it was a short-lived moment of happiness as Debbie was tragically killed in a hit-and-run leaving Nigel a grieving widower, fighting for custody of his stepdaughter, Clare.

Nicola also appeared from 1998 to 2005 as boozy Cat Matthews in Channel 5 soap Family Affairs. Her other credits include Made in Dagenham, Doc Martin, New Tricks and Waterloo Road.