Nichola “Nikki” Peggs (Nina Muschallik) 2001-2004

Guest Appearance: 4.18 (#220)  Sunday 11th February 2001

First Regular Appearance: 5.1 (#229) Passports Out  Sunday 16th September 2001

Last Regular Appearance: 8.3 (#327) Last Exit to Harchester  Sunday 31st October 2004

Duration: EP: 220, 229 - 327  |  SE: 4.18, 5.1 – 8.3

Position: Team Co-Ordinator (2001-2003) / Receptionist (2003-2004) / Football Agent (2004)

Last Seen: Saying goodbye to Jeff outside the club, heading abroad to begin her career as an agent solo.

Nikki put her ambitions on hold as she worked from the bottom ladder at Harchester United. First behind the counter at the Health Club, Nikki received promotion to Harchester's team co-ordinator. Her parents had recently moved to Spain, leaving Nikki in charge of her brother Gary who is four years younger. The job now gave her the added pressure of watching over him at work in that big-sisterly way.

Nikki is in awe of Lynda's PA Claudia Irving, with her feisty attitude and on the road to big things. Claudia is soon living at the Peggs family home, and though she causes Nikki to temporarily lose her job a couple of times, club captain Stevie Shaw is on hand to help Nikki back on track. Nikki views him as the perfect big brother for Peggsy. Young and naïve in this world of the exciting professional footballer, Gary is tempted into taking drugs, and falls from the side of a pool injuring his spine. While he will walk again, Peggsy’s career is over, and Nikki watches him leave to recover at their parents'.

After rescuing Claudia from being gassed by Dawn Spears, Nikki believes Stevie has cheated with her, and Linton Alexander gets with Nikki purposely to rile Stevie. Stevie is worried knowing about Linton’s abusive past. Nikki witnesses this when Linton blames her when his young daughter wanders off, and Nikki realises she really does belong with Stevie. It is not to be though, as Stevie perishes when the team coach crashes on route to the UEFA Cup Final.

Grieving at the beginning of the new season, Nikki develops an attachment to Linton's brother Curtis, but fears he will treat her in the same way his brother did. Nikki does however fall for lottery-winning club owner Phil Wallis, and even attempts a magic spell to make him return her feelings. A disastrous first date involves Phil standing naked in front of her on the pitch, and eventually, after giving the club away in a raffle, Nikki and Phil go their separate ways.

Into her third season as team co-ordinator, Nikki is feeling more downtrodden than ever. She realises her potential with the guidance of mentor Jeff Stein, and sets about following her passion to becoming a football agent. Nikki and Jeff go into business together, with he a consultant with his knowledge of the profession, and she the new agent. Jeff brings them their first client – a teenage tearaway called Lee Presley. Lee brings a fair share of drama for Nikki and Jeff; dodgy agent Joel Brooks sniffing around looking to snatch Lee away, plus thug John Wilson whom Tina Presley has ‘sold’ her son to. And when she fails her agent exams, Nikki goes as far as marrying Jeff in order for they to be Lee’s guardians and to represent him professionally.

When Harchester are relegated to the Championship, Nikki and Jeff look for a way to keep Lee at his professional pace, and are excited when Manchester United send an agent for talks. Don Barker is determined to keep Lee however, and encourages him to travel with the team to Portugal knowing it will scupper the Man U deal. Nikki flies out and after hearing Lee out on how it was a deal he didn’t want, the two give into temptation. Nikki is shocked to learn Jeff has in fact fallen for her. Jeff feels betrayed by Nikki and Lee, and knowing that Nikki and Jeff do not wish to stay at a Championship club, and wanted a transfer with him to Barcelona, Lee decides to let them go with what would be their share of that deal.

Nina Muschallik's Interview with Dream Team Diehard (September 2012)