NEIGHBOURS star Nicola Charles looks completely unrecognisable decades after the soap – as she prepares for a brand new career path.
The 54-year-old actress shot to fame as Sarah Beaumont on the beloved Australian show, appearing from 1996 to 1999.
During her tenure on Ramsay Street, the character fell in love with Karl Kennedy (played by Alan Fletcher), who was married to Sarah’s friend Susan.
The pair tried to hide their growing feelings for each other, but it still devastated the family when it was discovered.
She later married Dr Peter Hannay, with Karl coming to her rescue and driving her to the wedding after she was left stranded. The couple later left the soap together.
Nicola would later return to the soap as Sarah for guest appearances in 2013 and 2016, but was absent for the show’s then-finale.
But fast forward to 2024, and actress Nicola is looking for a completely different career in politics, after making a name for herself online with right-wing-leaning rhetoric and being vocally against the Covid lockdown.
In 2022, she claimed that her vocal stance against vaccines and lockdown policies was behind her not returning to Neighbours for the final episode.
While the show ended, it was later saved by Amazon’s Freevee and rebooted.
Nicola hopes to run for the Australian senate under the Great Australian Party banner in next year’s federal election.
According to DailyMail, she is being mentored by party leader Rod Culleton, and is waging her campaign by opposing the Australia’s Digital ID Bill, which was passed earlier this year.
Nicola was born in Worcestershire, England, but has lived in Australia for more than 30 years.
The British-born star told The Herald Sun she aims to get the bill repealed and said: “’I have no concerns for myself or my career anymore, I genuinely believe I owe Australia a debt of gratitude because I was not born in Australia, but I have been 100 per cent made in Australia.
“For me to stand by and watch what is being done to this country and her people is heartbreaking and I am not prepared to let it happen, I will go down fighting.”
