Nico Blake (also Bradley) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Persephone Swales-Dawson. The character made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 June 2014. The character and casting was announced on 20 May 2014. Nico is the daughter and niece of established twins characters Dodger Savage (Danny Mac) and Sienna Blake (Anna Passey), the adoptive daughter of Sienna's boyfriend Ben Bradley (Ben Richards), and the granddaughter of Sienna and Dodger's parents Jeremy Blake (Jeremy Sheffield) and Anna Blake (Saskia Wickham) and the niece of their half-brother Will Savage (James Atherton) and their half-sister Liberty Savage (Abi Phillips/Jessamy Stoddart), and a half-sister and cousin of Dodger's daughter Myra-Pocahontas Savage-McQueen.
Nico's prominent storylines include: a fraught relationship with Sienna and Patrick; kidney failure from the "End of the Line" train crash; discovering that Dodger is actually her biological father; a relationship with Dylan Jenkins (James Fletcher); accidentally killing Ben's daughter, Carly Bradley (Sophie Wise) with a paperweight; her crush on Jason Roscoe (Alfie Browne-Sykes) and stalking his girlfriend Holly Cunningham (Amanda Clapham); coldly murdering Patrick, who is terminally ill, by smothering him; attempting to murder Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) for her kidney; pushing Will off the hospital roof; stabbing Sienna; suffering a heart attack when she requires another kidney transplant; murdering Dylan's father Trevor Royle (Greg Wood) by stabbing him on his wedding day to Grace Black (Tamara Wall); bullying cancer patient Jade Albright (Kassius Nelson) with her friend Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell), whom she later develops an unhealthy obsession with and holds hostage.
Nico was seemingly killed off on 1 November 2016, as part of the show's "Halloween Spooktacular" episodes. Nico becomes trapped in a maze by a fire and fallen debris after a final showdown with Sienna, which was caused by Peri's father, Cameron Campbell (Cameron Moore), after he discovers Nico's psychotic tendencies. She made an unannounced return on 15 May 2018, when she was revealed as Sienna's stalker. Following her return, her storylines included seemingly killing Sienna, however Sienna faked her own death in order to catch Nico; revealing herself to be heavily pregnant; attempting to kill Peri's friend Harley Frater (Mollie Lambert); holding Peri and Harley hostage; giving birth to her daughter and being killed by Sienna in self-defence. In 2020, Nico made several appearances as hallucinations to Liberty, who struggles with postnatal depression after giving birth to Faith.
Casting The casting of Nico was announced on 20 May 2014. Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy reported that Nico arrives in Hollyoaks and meets Dodger Savage (Danny Mac). He takes pity on her and gives her food. A show spokesperson added "Is this girl just a passing tearaway teenager? Or could there perhaps be something more?" It was soon announced that Nico is the long-lost daughter of Sienna Blake (Anna Passey). But Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield) intervenes to ruin Nico and Sienna's chances of becoming acquainted. His scams include paying Nico's adoptive mother Denise (Janet Bamford) to trick Sienna into believing someone else is her daughter. When Nico tells Sienna that she is her daughter she is dismissed as a liar. This prompts Nico to begin a revenge campaign.
Development
Characterisation According to Channel 4's official Hollyoaks page Nico is "intelligent, funny, but with quite a dark streak", as well as being quite mature for her age, as a result from going to care home to care home. It also mentions that although Nico has a tendency to push people away, this is down to a fear of rejection and in reality she just wants "to be loved and to be a part of a real family" and that she is "looking for a place in the world."
In an interview at the British Soap Awards 2015, Anna Passey commented that Sienna had "spawned a devil child". It was also noted by Daniel Kilkelly, that Nico would begin to show a dark streak. This was later confirmed to be true, when Sienna confronted her regarding the murder of Carley, Patrick and Trevor, Nico refused to believe that she had done anything wrong, demonstrating true psychopathic behaviour. Persephone Swale-Dawson later commented that Nico was developing a "sinister streak."
Parentage Nico arrives in the village as the long-lost daughter of Sienna Blake. Although she knows that Sienna is her mother, Sienna believes otherwise due to her being told by her father, Patrick, that her daughter is someone else. Although Sienna, initially disbelieves Nico, she starts investigating her claim after suspecting that she has something to do with Nancy Osborne (Jessica Fox) finding out about her new job, which leads to Sienna finally recognizing that Nico is her daughter.
Upon their reunion, Anna Passey noted that their reunion wasn't what Sienna was expecting, and that when she finds out that Patrick threatened Nico to stay away, Sienna would be heartbroken. Passey also commented how both characters would have an interesting time ahead of them as neither of them is what the other one was expecting, with Passey noting how Sienna isn't "necessarily mum material!" Hollyoaks producer Bryan Kirkwood also refused to answer whether Sienna and Nico would be able to keep their happily ever after.
On 5 August 2014, it was announced that Nico would begin searching for her true father after deciding that he would be a better carer to live with due to Sienna's latest malicious act. However, it was hinted that Nico's search could end in peril as she believes Sienna's lies about her father being called Ben Baxter and agrees to meet up with a man bearing that name. On 4 September 2014, it was announced that Dodger Savage (Danny Mac), Sienna's twin brother, was Nico's father. It was discover that Dodger and Sienna had met briefly years ago, and slept together, without knowing they were twins. A spokesperson told Digital Spy today: "Sienna and Dodger were estranged as children and each did not discover they had a twin until adulthood. When Nico was conceived 14 years ago, it was a chance meeting and they did not know that they were related." In an interview with Danny Mac, conducted at the Inside Soap Awards 2014, Daniel Kilkelly noted how some fans loved the twist with Dodger being Nico's father, whereas others hated it. Danny Mac commented that when Dodger finds out he will feel "physically sick", as he never could have "thought this could have been possible." He also said that Dodger would strive to do the right thing, even if he didn't know what that was. In an interview with Digital Spy, Bryan Kirkwood stated that Dodger being the father of Nico had been discussed "right from the start", and that they pushed Dodger being the father due to the audience thinking that it was going to be Patrick, Sienna's father.
Murder of Carly Bradley In early August 2015, Nico murdered Carly Bradley (Sophie Wise) while protecting her mother Sienna. It was announced afterwards that Nico would go on a dark streak, though Persephone Swales-Dawson admitted that she always knew that Nico would go down a dark path, she didn't think it'd be something "on the level of this!" It was also announced that Sienna would become scared of Nico, with Anna Passey commenting that Sienna would start wondering "What on earth have I [Sienna] created?"
Departure On 1 November 2016, Nico was killed off as part of the show's "autumn stunt week" set at a Halloween Spooktacular. Nico was in the maze with her mother Sienna when Cameron Campbell (Cameron Moore) set it on fire, hoping to get revenge on Nico for almost killing Peri. Both Nico and Sienna became trapped by debris and Sienna's partner Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) made the decision to save Sienna instead of Nico. The maze then collapses with Nico still inside. In a video released by the show following the episode's broadcast, Swales-Dawson commented "Nico might be gone, but I've had fun playing her. I think the thing I'm going to miss most about Hollyoaks is the crazy storylines."
Nico was killed off once again by her mother Sienna Blake, after hitting her over the head with a door stopper. Nico departed the serial on 22 June 2018.
Return (2018)
In January 2018, an unknown culprit began stalking Sienna and after months of psychological torture and anguish, in May 2018 it was revealed that Nico was Sienna's stalker, having survived the structure fire in November 2016.
Storylines 2014–2016 Nico arrives in the village and steals food from Dodger. He tries to help her out and she steals a bracelet belonging to Sienna. Nico is injured when Jason Roscoe (Alfie Browne-Sykes) throws bricks through Dodger's window. She later causes a fight with Jason and later Holly Cunningham (Amanda Clapham). She befriends Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) to get closer to Sienna. She overhears Sienna telling Leela that she has found her daughter, but is disheartened to find out that Sienna believes it to be someone else. Unbeknownst to Nico, Patrick has manipulated Sienna into believing her daughter is elsewhere. Nico tells Sienna the truth but she slaps her and calls her a liar. Feeling rejected Nico reignites an old feud between Sienna and Nancy Osborne (Jessica Fox). Nico then attacks Nancy and plants Sienna's bracelet at the scene to frame her. Sienna eventually discovers that Nico is her true daughter and happily welcomes her into the family.
When Nico begins asking questions about her father's identity, Sienna becomes hostile towards her and asks her to stop asking questions. Nico then confides in her friend, Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell) about Sienna, and makes hurtful comments about her, just as Sienna enters the room. Sienna then decides to tell Nico about her father, and explains that he went into the army and when he returned, he wanted nothing more to do with Sienna or Nico. Nico then begins searching for her father, but Dodger realises that Sienna made his identity up after finding an author of the same name. In September, Patrick tells Sienna that Dodger is Nico's father, but Sienna keeps this from her. Nico has an argument with Sienna and they fall out, which leads to Nico boarding the McQueens' party train which also contains the McQueens, which crashes causing Nico to become injured. She is admitted to hospital, where Dr. Charles S'avage (Andrew Greenough) tells Sienna and Dodger that Nico was born with one kidney, that is failing and will need a transplant, but that Sienna and Dodger do not match Nico's kidney. Sienna is upset by this and turns for help. Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) then tells Dodger that she will be tested to help Nico.