| Nina Tucker | |||||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Delta Goodrem | ||||||||||
| Duration | 2002–2005, 2015, 2022 | ||||||||||
| First appearance | 11 June 2002 | ||||||||||
| Last appearance | 28 July 2022 | ||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||
| Introduced by |
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| Book appearances | Rising Star (2005) | ||||||||||
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Nina Tucker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Delta Goodrem. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 June 2002. Goodrem was approached by producers after they saw her video for her debut single. Goodrem, who had just signed a record deal, almost turned down the role of Nina as she felt the character did not suit her style of music. The role was rewritten for her and she joined the cast. A year later, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and had to leave the show for treatment. Once her health improved, she made a return to Neighbours in 2004 to tie up Nina's storylines. In 2005, Neighbours celebrated its 20th anniversary with an episode that featured many ex-cast members, in which Goodrem reprised her role as Nina once more. She returned again in March 2015 for the show's 30th anniversary, and for the show's final episode on 28 July 2022.
Nina was originally written as a bad girl character, but when the writers rewrote the role for Goodrem, she became a painfully shy school student who was described as being the "quintessential girl-next-door". Nina learned to be independent from an early age as she was travelling with her parents all over the world. She has a complicated relationship with her mother, who she sees as an embarrassment to her. In 2004, her personality underwent a change, and she was no longer shy; she had grown up and had become more assured. Goodrem's manager suggested that Nina should be an aspiring singer and Neighbours developed the character to suit her. Goodrem worked with the writers to incorporate her music into the show. One of Nina's longest running storylines was her relationship with Jack Scully (Jay Bunyan). They began their relationship while they were seeing other people and they break up twice. However, Nina realises that she loves Jack and returns from India to tell him. Goodrem believed Nina and Jack were soulmates. Nina was well received, and Goodrem won the Most Popular New Female Talent Logie Award for the role.