'I was there as Nicola and not as an actor. That’s a really important point': Prestatyn mum proud to be part of Tena Women's new campaign with Channel 4

The 60-second advert premiere aired during Gogglebox on Friday, October 2 at 10pm and was fronted by familiar Channel 4 faces including presenter Anna Richardson and stand-up comedian, actress and writer Shazia Mirza.

Nicola Kemp-Simonds, mum-of-two, landed a part in the campaign which aims to empower women of all ages to be more open and honest with themselves and others about incontinence.

But the 48-year-old, who teaches vocational students at Ysgol Emrys ap Ewan, says she wasn’t acting in the advert but being herself.

Nicola said: “I am so proud to be part of the Tena Women family now. It’s empowering women and helping people talk about a problem which is so stigmatised and laughed about but should be taken seriously.

Nicola is staring as the mum in the idents in-between the adverts. “Basically we are a Gogglebox family sat in the sofa", Nicola said.

“I was a little embarrassed by some of the questions put to me but it made for a funny advert.

“Most people think I was acting but I was being completely honest and myself.

“I was there as Nicola and not an actor. That’s a really important point.”

Nicola applied for the campaign - a Tena Women and Channel 4 Partnership - through a national call out on Instagram and had to endure a ‘tough’ audition process on Zoom and Skype with casting directors.

It was filmed in Kingston upon Thames in early September.

“Set life is very different like all working environments now,” Nicola added.

“We stuck to the rules of mask wearing and social distancing but as I was the lead actress, I was able to remove my mask to be filmed.”

In the campaign, Nicola reveals how her eight year old asked ‘mum - have you weed?’ and jokes: ‘It [incontinence] doesn’t stop you from having sex, having an eight year old stops you from having sex.’

“When it aired during the break in Gogglebox it was so funny as I let my eight-year-old stay up to see it,” Nicola said.

"He laughed so hard when I mentioned him."

Nicola, who is also a key worker, has just returned from Scotland where she was filming for Gogglebox in conjunction with Scottish Power.

“I’m staring as the mum in the idents in-between the adverts,” she said.

“Basically we are a Gogglebox family sat in the sofa. It should be quite funny.

“I am getting cast in a lot in comedy so I think I’ve found my acting niche.”

Nicola has also landed parts in two dramas due to air soon - Tin Star and the new Sherlock Holmes series The Irregulars.

She is also reprising her role as Detective Nic White in ITV’s The Bay.

Nicola added: “I’m in Tin Star with the amazing Tim Roth playing the mother of the groom at a big wedding and in the new Sherlock Holmes programme, I’m playing a posh Victorian lady.

“This was all filmed prior to covid.”

She is keen for the new Tena Women campaign to be taken seriously.

Asked how important the message is - ‘I will be me’, she replied: “I will be me basically means... nothing will stop me.”