Fans of EastEnders will no doubt remember the role she played in the likeable Aidan Brosnan’s downward spiral from promising footballer to hopeless drug addict.
But while the BBC show and its rotating cast of characters have changed beyond recognition since troublesome teenager Mandy Salter left Albert Square, the actress responsible for bringing her to life has clearly not aged a day.
Nicola Stapleton showed up in London on Monday afternoon and was instantly recognizable while shopping with a friend.
The 49-year-old actress, a household name during her heyday in the 1990s, greeted onlookers with a smile as she browsed a series of shops in Soho.
Nicola looked relaxed in a black statement T-shirt and matching trousers, teamed with a statement red winter coat and white trainers.
Former EastEnders and Bad Girls star Nicola Stapleton looked like she hasn’t aged a day as she performed in London on Monday afternoon
The 49-year-old actress, a household name during her heyday in the 1990s, greeted onlookers with a smile as she browsed a series of shops in Soho.
The London-born star became a household name after winning a dream role as Mandy Salter in EastEnders.
The teenager from hell arrived on the Square in 1992 and wasted no time in causing chaos by causing Ian Beale’s mental breakdown and corrupting naive friend Aidan before leaving in 1994.
She eventually reprized her role in 2011, with a grown Mandy returning to the Square as a stripper and striking up an unlikely romance with Ian before leaving for good the following year.
Nicola also enjoyed a twelve-month stint in rival soap Emmerdale as Eli Dingle’s close friend Danielle Hutch.
The actress is also known for her role as inmate Janine Nebeski in the seventh and eighth series of the ITV prison drama Bad Girls between 2005 and 2006.
The last series saw her character embark on a romance with male prison officer Donny Kimber, played by her ex-EastEnders co-star Sid Owen.
The actress also played the role of Joe Nardone in the Channel 4 show Young Person’s Guide to Becoming a Rock Star, as well as smaller roles in the TV starrers Casualty and Hollyoaks.
More recently, she voiced the animated character Rosie on the children’s television program Thomas & Friends.
The London-born star became a household name after winning a dream role as Mandy Salter in EastEnders (pictured)
The latest series of Bad Girls saw her character embark on a romance with male prison officer Donny Kimber, played by her ex-EastEnders co-star Sid Owen.