Nicola, 33, will play Danielle Hutch, who arrives in the village with a bang when she is almost run over by her ex-boyfriend (Joseph Gilgun).

The rogue feels forced to offer his sister sanctuary – but what is the truth behind their shared pasts and what secrets has Danielle brought with her for the future?

Nicola said: "Danielle is such an intriguing character because there's more to her than meets the eye.

"I can't wait to spend some time in Leeds and meet the rest of the cast."

Series producer Anita Turner added: "I'm so pleased to welcome an actress with Nicola's calibre to the show. "

Nicola, who is best known for her role as teenage tearaway Mandy Salter in EastEnders, is not the only new face set to make waves on the ITV1 soap.

Soap newcomer Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi will play flirty factory girl Leyla Harding, who arrives in the village later this month.

And according to some reports, bosses are currently looking for an actor to play a new farmer, provisionally named John Naylor, in a bid to take the show back to its rural roots.