Neighbours actress Nicola Charles claims her jealous castmates tried to get her DEPORTED back to Britain during her stint on the soap
Former Neighbours star Nicola Charles has sensationally claimed her castmates once tried to get her deported back to Britain because she was ‘taking a job from an Australian’.
The English model, 51, played Sarah Beaumont from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2013 to 2016, and her character is best remembered for her extramarital affair with Dr Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher).
Nicola alleges in her autobiography Soap Star, which is set to be released on Friday, she found a handwritten letter sent to the immigration department shortly after her six-month probation ended in 1996.
Allegations: Former Neighbours star Nicola Charles has sensationally claimed her castmates once tried to get her deported back to Britain because she was ‘taking a job from an Australian’
While she didn’t identify the cast members in question, Nicola was stunned anybody would go to such lengths to make her lose her job.
‘I did know who they were, the individuals who did it, but I thought – who goes to that length, and what have I done to be disliked that much?’ she wrote, in an excerpt published by the Herald Sun on Monday.
‘That experience coloured my relationships with everyone on the cast and crew, because I kind of felt nervous about trusting anyone after that.’
Nicola claims she learned during a meeting with a producer that there was some ‘resistance’ to her involvement among certain cast members.
Her own immigration lawyer apparently later confirmed a complaint from two Neighbours actors had been made because a British actor was given a full-time role on the show, thereby ‘taking a job away from an Australian performer’.
Fame: The English model, 51, played Sarah Beaumont from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2013 to 2016, and her character is best remembered for her extramarital affair with Dr Karl Kennedy
Speaking out: Nicola unveiled the shocking revelation to The Herald Sun in an excerpt for her new no-holds-barred autobiography Soap Star, which is set to be released on Friday
But Nicola said this didn’t make sense because her character was British, adding: ‘I did not take a role from a local actor because there was no role.’
In September last year, Nicola revealed sordid details of what she claims went on behind the scenes of the long-running soap.
She told the Herald Sun that a producer on the show once offered to pay for her to get a breast enlargement, and also encouraged her to leak naked photos.
‘I was patted on the knee in a very condescending way and told you can always leak photos of yourself after you wrap with the show to boost your image,’ she said.
Claims: In September last year, Nicola revealed sordid details of what she claims went on behind-the-scenes of the long-running soap
‘It’s from days of old that one, naked photos leaked online. This is the same Neighbours’ producer who said to me, “Would you like me to buy you a set of t**s?”
‘I said no thank you, I plan on breast feeding. He said, “It’s fine, I’ve done it for all the other girls,” and I said, “Really, I’m okay, thank you.”‘
She refused to name the producer, explaining he has since died.
Nicola said the culture of the show appears to have since changed for the better, and praised the series for including storylines involving gay people and minorities.
Change: Nicola said the culture of the show appears to have since changed for the better, and praised the series for including minority and gay storylines