EASTENDERS fans have been left convinced that the show’s latest character is the double of one soap legend.
The BBC confirmed that Walford would be welcoming a brand new Mitchell resident to the Square in a matter of weeks in the form of Teddy’s ex-wife.
BBC bosses have signed up actress Laura Doddington to play Teddy’s ex Nicola Mitchell.
The show revealed a first-look at the character as she posed in a black and white outfit alongside the iconic Albert Square sign.
She will make her debut as the newest Mitchell matriarch in the autumn when she turns up uninvited to deal with Teddy.
Ever since her new cast promo was revealed, devoted EastEnders fans have been left in disbelief at the striking resemblance to another Walford icon.
Many viewers have insisted she resembles a 1980s Sharon Watts thanks to her retro hair-do.
It caused fans to do a double take at their similar looks.
Commenting on X, one fan penned: “Omg why did I think this was Sharon in classic EE lmaooo.”
Another person added: “She’s giving 1985 Sharon.”
A third person agreed, writing: “Not just me right? She looks like Sharon!”
As a fourth went on to write: “She looks a bit like young Sharon?”
It led someone else to quip: “I just know I’m going to be obsessed with this woman.”
In upcoming scenes, Nicola wastes no time making her presence felt as she introduces herself to the rest of the Mitchells and tries to build bridges with sons Harry and Barney.
Teddy will be less than impressed to have Nicola invading his new neighbourhood. However, Nicola is determined to stand her ground, whether Teddy likes it or not.
Having also appeared in Doctors, Holby City and The Midwich Cuckoos, actress Laura is no stranger to soaps.
MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year?
The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year.
Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998.
Yet what about the 2024 exits?
Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had “quit” the long-running series.
It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen.
Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford.
Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would “quit out of boredom” over recent storylines.
Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame.
One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky.
He played Stacey Slater’s brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel.
Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay’s Netflix movie 6 Underground.
Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005.
She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008.
She’s already started filming and will be seen on screen in late autumn.
EastEnders Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw said: “Like all the great Mitchell women, Nicola is feisty, strong and loves her family.
“She and Teddy share a very complicated history, which will be fun to explore, as will her relationships with her two sons.”
Speaking of her new role, Laura Doddington said: “I still can’t believe I’ve joined EastEnders – I keep pinching myself!
“I grew up watching the show, so the first time I filmed in The Vic, I was like a kid at Christmas to be in such an iconic place with such a brilliant cast and crew.
“Nicola is a complex woman who comes in like the Tasmanian Devil! She’s strong and completely unapologetic about who she is.”
