Carly Hillman had shocking plotlines during her time on EastEnders, but she’s now left acting behind (Image: BBC)
alum Carly Hillman, who graced Albert Square as over two decades ago, is utterly unrecognisable today and living life to the fullest. At 41, Carly has long left her role as the luckless Nicky behind. Introduced in 1998, she was the baby sister to the formidable di Marco brothers Beppe and Gianni and ally to fan-favorite Sonia Jackson.
Nicky’s time in Walford was a rollercoaster of tribulations. Her mother, Rosa, arranged for a private tutor, Rod Morris, in hopes of improving her flagging maths scores. But what followed was a disaster – an infatuated Nicky attempted to entice him and endured a harrowing assault.
Following the incident, she confessed to her clan, leading her brother Gianni to exact a savage retaliation on Rod. When her confessions fell on sceptical ears, a heartbroken Nicky opted to seek solace in a youth hostel, bringing about her—and Carly’s—departure from the beloved soap in 2000, reports The Mirror.
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Carly Hillman who played Nicky di Marco in EastEnders (Image: Twitter)
Since then, Carly has shifted gears from acting to vocals. Her current vocation is touted on her webpage: “Carly Hillman is a professional female singer providing live entertainment for your wedding, party, bar, restaurant, or any other function across Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, London, and Kent.”
The website states: “Carly’s live singing performances can cover most musical genres including pop music, RandB, soul, disco, or ballads. Carly’s vast experience as a live performer has given her a great understanding of what’s required to make any event an occasion to remember.”
Eastenders Carly Hillman is now a live performer at weddings and parties (Image: Instagram/@carltprobert1)
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Before focusing on music, Carly spent several years in acting and musical theatre. She appeared in Harry and Cosh in 2002. Subsequently, she earned TV and theatre credits in shows like Celebrity Britain’s Best Dish and Soapstar Superchef and leading roles with RJ Williamson Shakespeare Company, New Vic Workshops, and Ian Dickens Productions.
Like many ex-soap stars, Carly also had numerous runs on the pantomime circuit, featuring in Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Aladdin, Dick Whittington, and Snow White alongside big names such as Danny La Rue, Jim Davidson, Bradley Walsh, Joe Pasquale, Stephen Mulhern and others.
In the early 2000s, Carly ventured into music, releasing the song Mutual as part of the British R&B group Urban Lady in 2003. Her website highlights this impressive period, noting how “she performed at major venues all around the UK, supporting various popular artists.”
Born in Essex, Carly also founded her own performing arts school, Act One Stage School, based in Romford. In 2009, she took a hiatus from her career to focus on family life, welcoming two daughters with her husband Ben Probert.