Career
She is known mainly for her roles in television, which include Margaret Clemence in Channel 4"s Brookside. Stephenson"s on-air kiss with Anna Friel was the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss to be broadcast on British television In 2012 the kiss was broadcast to over 5 billion people when it was included as part of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle.
The opening ceremony was broadcast uncensored in 76 countries where homosexuality is illegal and therefore became the first homosexual kiss to be broadcast in these countries.
Other roles have included Julie Fitzjohn/Bradford in Holby City, Suzie Davidson in Clocking Office, Jackie Armstrong in Independent Television"s Christmas Lights/Northern Lights/City Lights, Sarah Williams in British Broadcasting Corporation"s The Chase and All at Sea. In 2012, Nicola played Louise, a series lead in the Independent Television drama Homefront.
Her theatre roles include A Patriot for Maine at the Royal Shakespeare Company, directed by Peter Gill, His Girl Friday and Edmund at the National Theatre, directed by Editor Hall, and War Horse at the New London Theatre in London"s West End, directed by Marianne Elliot. In 2007, she had a lead role in the British Broadcasting Corporation television 3 part series Superstorm directed by Julian Simpson.
In 2014 she worked with Simpson again when he directed her as a guest lead in the British Broadcasting Corporation television series New Tricks.
She appeared in the Independent Television drama Safe House in early 2015. From 2015 to 2016, she played the part of Tess Harris in the soap-opera Emmerdale. Her four-month stint on the series came to a sudden end when her character was unexpectedly killed off in a hit-and-run incident.
She was born in Oldham, Lancashire and attended North Chadderton School for her secondary education.