| Nicole Franklin | |||||||||||||||
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| Home and Away character | |||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Tessa James | ||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2008–2011 | ||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 18 April 2008 | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 21 June 2011 | ||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former, regular | ||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Cameron Welsh | ||||||||||||||
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Nicole Franklin is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Tessa James. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 18 April 2008. Nicole was introduced by executive producer Cameron Welsh. Nicole was mentioned various times before appearing on-screen, James was cast in the role and described by Welsh as an "exciting talent". He predicted that the viewers would respond "really well" to her. Nicole was initially portrayed as a shallow "party girl" with "wild ways". Also described as a "high maintenance" female, she has been shown to dress constantly in a stylish manner. Nicole is also become notable for her many relationships. Her first prominent romance was with Geoff Campbell. Described as "complete opposites", Geoff is credited as a catalyst in Nicole mellowing her brash attitude. Their storyline allowed the actors to take part in one of the serial's "biggest ever location shoots", when the couple became stranded on a remote desert island. In one storyline Nicole was involved in a same sex kiss with fellow character Freya Duric, which was branded controversial by various media sources. The plot saw Nicole question her persona, believing Geoff had transformed her into a boring person.
Another relationship Nicole pursued was with Aden Jefferies, her longtime closest friend. Aden had a strong fanbase from his previous relationship with Belle Taylor. This resulted in the audience being divided over their relationship. Nicole has also been featured in various other romantic storylines, such as a brief fling with Liam Murphy, James said that he was compatible with Nicole because he had "the edge she was after". She also dated Trey Palmer and they became involved in sex tape storyline, many newspapers reported on the plot because it "echoed" co-star Lewis' real life sex tape scandal. Producer Welsh once stated he believed Nicole was destined to become "full circle" and Nicole began behaving erratic and wild once more, due to her failed romances and the death of her friend Belle. She also had an affair with an older male character, Sid Walker. James liked the fact Nicole had so many romances because she got to kiss many of her co-stars.
James announced her departure from Home and Away in March 2011. One of her final storylines was a pregnancy plot. Nicole felt she was too young and unable to offer a child stability, so she agreed to let Marilyn Chambers adopt the baby upon its birth. James and the writing team took the storyline "very seriously" and conducted research to portray the issue sensitively. Nicole has received critical analysis from various sources, with perception being mixed to positive. TV Week were neutral to aspects of her pregnancy plot but opined James was one of the serial's best actresses. The Daily Record said that being single was good for the character. She has also been likened to celebrities because of her glamorous image.