EastEnders star Laura Doddington has revealed that Nicola Mitchell will begin to crumble under the pressure of her colossal secret.

The Mitchell Matriarch has made quite an impact since her arrival in late last year, rattling ex-husband Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian) and trying to break up his new relationship with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).

‘I think viewers enjoy watching characters they love to hate, and I think Nicola is definitely that kind of character’ Laura told us.

‘She’s unapologetically herself and doesn’t care about what others think of her, and I think people are drawn to that kind of confidence. She’s written in such a three dimensional way, she is vile at times but everything comes from the heart.

‘I don’t think Nicola makes a decision in life thinking it’s wrong, she is the kind of person who stands by her choices.’

Nic gained some leverage in recent weeks when she discovered that Sharon had been unfaithful with ex-husband Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp).

Whilst patiently sitting on the knowledge, youngest son Barney (Lewis Bridgeman) exposed the affair and she then had to attempt damage control on her other huge secret.

Rushing off to meet Sharon’s brother Zack Hudson (James Farrar), she wanted to ensure that he didn’t speak out about being Barney’s birth father.

Desperate to come clean and form a relationship, Nicola felt that she was left with no choice but to confess one of her most classified stories.

She revealed that several years ago, Teddy murdered their eldest son Harry’s (Elijah Holloway) girlfriend Shireen. He’s an apparently vicious man, and should Barney’s paternity be unveiled, he would be on the warpath again.

‘She will go to any lengths to protect her boys, but equally in protecting them she is also protecting herself’ Laura said.

‘In Nicola’s head, she will do anything to make sure that her boys aren’t hurt.

‘Yes, she is terrified of his reaction and him rejecting her and Barney. It’s gone on for 16 years so the lie is fully established, and so 16 years of hard work comes crumbling down if the secret comes out.’

Whether or not Teddy actually was responsible for the disappearance of the girl remains to be seen, a story which will be explored in greater detail next week when her brother shows up in Albert Square.

Laura continued: ‘I think to begin with she is hoping that she’ll be able to sweep it under the carpet and it won’t be that big of a deal compared to previous years.

‘But after that, it’s about her nurturing her son Harry, who is broken, and just trying to be there as much as she can for him.

‘She adores Harry so it breaks her heart to see him so upset.’

As we’ll see in upcoming scenes, Nicola will be left in an impossible situation concerning Shireen’s vanishing and meets up with an acquaintance, Benji, to ask for more answers.

There’s also the matter of Zack wanting to play a fatherly role in Barney’s life.

‘[She’s] a woman pushed to the edge’ Laura confessed.

‘She’s tested on how far love, manipulation, and lying can get her. One thing I’ve discovered playing the character recently is that carrying these secrets around and watching her son suffer as a consequence has been harder on her than she ever thought.’