Nicola Walker has made a return to our TV screens as she takes on her iconic role as Hannah Defoe in the highly anticipated two-part special of the hit legal drama The Split.
The new instalment kicks off with a vibrant Spanish fiesta set against the backdrop of a sun-soaked weekend. The episodes will explore themes of love, legacy, and modern marriage through a talented ensemble of familiar characters.
Hannah is just one of Nicola’s TV roles that cements her status as a household name. The 54-year-old is also known and loved for her acting parts in major and ITV dramas, including Unforgotten and Marriage as well as Scottish detective drama, Annika.
The star made her onscreen debut in Richard Curtis’s Four Weddings and a Funeral as the folk singer who is performing at a ceremony while Simon Callow’s Gareth fakes his own dramatic death in the pews.
But while Nicola is a regular fixture on our screens, when she’s not busy filming she likes to live a more quiet life with her family.
Don’t miss…
Nicola Walker has made a return to our TV screens (Image: BBC)
Family life
When it comes to Nicola’s love life she prefers to keep a low profile however what we do know is that she is married to fellow actor Barnaby Kay.
The couple met whilst starring in a play called The Libertine when she was 25. They went on to later welcome their son, Harry, into the world in 2006, and tied the knot the same year.
Chatting about marriage with Woman&Home back in 2017, the actress said: “I was always quite daunted by the idea of marriage; my parents had the most amazing partnership, and no one wants to be the one who gets it wrong. But now that we’ve done it? Actually, it was just the legalities we were missing before.”
Barnaby has appeared in various TV shows over his career, including ‘s Anatomy of a Scandal, the drama Wallander and the comedy-drama series, New Tricks. He also appeared in an episode of Spooks when Nicola was starring on the show.
Don’t miss…
Nicola has takes on her iconic role as Hannah Defoe on BBC The Split (Image: BBC)
Friendship with Sarah Lancashire
Nicola and Sarah Lancashire are both powerhouses when it comes to phenomenal acting and previously starred alongside each other in beloved drama, Last Tango in Halifax, and it’s clear the pair have a very close bond.
Nicola previously shared her admiration for Sarah in a heartwarming new interview shared during the National Television Awards.
She said: “She (Sarah) has broken my heart and made me laugh in equal measure on camera, on stage, in song, she can do it all,” she began.
The actress continued: “As an audience, we knew her and that’s one of Sarah’s gifts that she creates a character that you feel so connected to, and that’s because she understands human nature.”
After being asked if she’d work with Sarah again, Nicola added: “I would like to work only with Sarah Lancashire, every day, all the time, I don’t know if anyone can arrange that! We are very lucky to have her.”
The Split is available to watch on iPlayer