Nicola Duffett found fame in 1992 when she had a supporting role in the Oscar-winning film Howards End before going on to be cast as Debbie Bates in EastEnders between 1993 and 1995.
But after after a promising start to her acting career she was left depending on benefits before securing a role in soap rival, Coronation Street in 2015.
The 59 year old's soap career first began in 1993 but was cut short in 1995 when her EastEnders character was killed off in a tragic car collision.
She wasn't out of work for long and in 1998 she starred in Family Affairs as Cat Matthews, who was a key character in the show.
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