HER depiction of a companion in Coronation Street is so compelling that Kimberly Hart-Simpson admits she gets strangers asking her what she asks for sex.
Today, in an exclusive interview, the 35-year-old actress says getting the role of Nicky Wheatley is a dream come true after auditioning for the ITV soapie for a decade.
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And she tells how excited she is that sex workers contact her to thank her for making the character so realistic.
Kimberly said: “People have definitely confused my character with me. Men think it’s really funny to approach me and say, ‘How many?’
“I’m on dating apps and it also comes to the fore there. I immediately matched them.
“But I am delighted that charities and sex workers have contacted me to say they like the way Nicky is portrayed because she is so realistic and the writers did not give her a drug or alcohol problem.
“She’s just a fiery mother doing it for her daughter – for survival. I’m so proud to play her.
“I know a lot of people who work in the sex industry and on things like OnlyFans – it’s not an unknown world to me and they are just normal people trying to get by. Fair play for them. ”
Kimberly loves everything about her character. And this is not surprising, as it took her ten years of setbacks before she finally landed the role.
“Corrie was my dream”
She wanted to become an actress since watching the movie Free Willy when she was eight.
And because her family were big fans of the soap, it was always her dream to be on Corrie.
The warm, friendly, down-to-earth actress from Rhyl, North Wales, said: “I went on a studio tour with my mum about the same age. That’s all I ever wanted.
“Mom would say, ‘Why didn’t you get a proper job like working at Sainsbury’s?’
“The Corrie obsession came from my father. Of all the memories that exist in my brain of my dad and me, Corrie is one of the most outstanding. He was a massive, massive fan, obsessed with it.
“You could not ring the house phone when it was on and the kettle was full, so that he could drink a brew during breaks. I loved Jack and Vera. I loved Beth Lynch. ”
And before musician and teaser Kevin died of bone marrow cancer in 2007 at the age of 63, he spoke to her from his bed in Oldham Hospital and told her to pursue her dream.
Kimberly fought back tears and said: “He knew I was going to be an actor. I was at the drama school in London, the Italia Conti, and when he passed he said: ‘Just do me a favor and get Corrie for me’.
“I did not say anything – I knew he was cursing me at that stage. But if he did not, I certainly would not be sitting here today.
“It took almost ten years of auditions. There were roles like ‘shop assistant’ and then characters with names.
“I auditioned so many times, so I knew they thought I had something, because they made me go back all the time.
“There was a lot of desperation, I wanted it so badly.”
Kimberly, who also starred in Hollyoaks and Mount Pleasant, says getting the role of Nicky “saved” her.
She said: “I came down a lot, so low. I lost my dad, I had to get counseling. I knew Coronation Street was my calling — what I was supposed to do.
“I did acting, not a lot, I was in debt. I had to turn to my mom to help with bills. I’m not afraid of hard work
“I did stage dancing to help pay for university. I’ve worked in McDonald’s and done walk-in parts, but I really wanted the Corrie role.
“When I finally got the call to say I had landed Nicky, I fell on the floor and cried and shouted for joy.
When I first started on Corrie, I was gnawing at myself. But I knew I was working to get there, so I could not let the nerves take over.
“The first thing I did was pay back my debt and then tell my dad the news. I’m still talking to him.
But shortly before she started the role, she faced a fear of breast cancer. It was exactly ten years after she lost her father that she got a lump that was so big that it was visible to the eye.
She said: “I am very happy – people have been through a lot worse than me, but I was scared to death.
“Because of my father’s condition, I always look at my breasts, and the lump was big. My family doctor sent me to the hospital for a biopsy. I remember waiting for the results. It was awful.
“I was just so happy that it was kind. As it grew, they proposed surgery at Oldham Hospital, where Dad died.
“Now I try to be healthy. I walk a lot on the treadmill, sometimes for two hours at a time, and I have since lost more than 2nd in weight.
“I still have a scar under my left breast, but I feel very happy.”
But many things in life are not due to happiness. Kimberly believes in manifestation and has vision boards where she sets her goals.
She explained: “I have been doing this for several years. I did not do it before Corrie and I’m sure it’s no coincidence that I’m leading my best life right now – I have vision now.
“I have to pinch myself”
“At the moment I would like to make a documentary and also get my clothing range in stores.”
She’s just as passionate about her Hart Work business as she is about the ITV soapie. Kimberly said: “In about 2017, after my breast cancer scare, I felt so discouraged that I decided to get a sewing machine.
“I could not sew, but I knew I had to do something creative for my mental health.
“I was at the lowest ebb of my life, financially and emotionally. My confidence was gone.
“I bought the cheapest machine I could get, for £ 80 at Argos, and watched YouTube videos about sewing.
“I’ve always been in fashion and would get clothes at charity shops – I volunteered for the British Heart Foundation for many years.
“I decided to try to transform the clothes and discovered that there is beauty in something that was once beautiful, but became ugly, that I can bring back to life.
“I started cycling with love things that could otherwise have gone in the trash. It helped me regain my confidence.”
And after her best friend, Hollyoaks actress Jessica Ellis, wore one of her creations to an awards ceremony, her talents were spotted.
Now she has an online ASOS boutique, a pop-up shop in Urban Outfitters and another in Manchester’s famous Afflecks market.
Kimberly said: “The £ 80 sewing machine has finally died, so now I have a new one.”
And she also has a new life – the one she always wanted.
She admits laughing: “When I first did Corrie, I shot myself. But I knew I was working to get to that moment, so I could not let nerves take over. I remember sitting next to David Neilson [Roy Cropper] on day one and he asked me about my character and myself and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m sitting next to Roy’.
“In my head I was crazy, but I was just trying to act cool. I still have to pinch myself. I still look at it and criticize myself.
Kimberly, who appeared on Celebs Go Dating, was approached to do reality shows, but for now, she’s happy where she is.
She said: “I’m a down-to-earth person and I do not dream of Hollywood. If I was on Corrie in five years, I would be happy.
“I would also like to be in a relationship, with a man or woman – I came out about ten years ago.
“I’m on dating sites, including Raya. I’m sure some people approach me just because I’m in Coronation Street, but I was also a super-fan before I got the job, so I do not blame them for that. “
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MACCY D GIRL MADE WELL
BORN: May 28, 1987, in Rhyl, Denbighshire.
TRAINING: London’s Italy Conti Academy of Theater Arts.
WORKS BEFORE PERFORMANCE: Manager at McDonald’s, stage dancer.
FIRST APPLICATION GIG: Gasroll for two episodes on Sky TV comedy drama series Mount Pleasant.
BREAKTHROUGH: Coronation Street role as Nicky Wheatley, from 2020.
KEY CORRIE STORIES: Her background as a sex worker is revealed. Love interest for Daniel Osbourne.
LOVES LIFE: In 2020, Kimberly came out as bisexual, and last year she said she was pansexual instead of bisexual. She is currently on dating apps and appeared on Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion last year.
OTHER WORK: Kimberly runs her own clothing boutique, Hart Work.