The popular CBBC children’s programme Byker Grove not only launched the illustrious careers of TV double act Ant and Dec, but also introduced another celebrity who would later make her mark. Sammy T Dobson, 38, recognised for her portrayal of Nicola Piper on Casualty, is a Newcastle native who starred in the hit series, set in her home city, from 2001 to 2005.

Sammy graced the show as Sarah Young for five seasons of the kids’ drama, while Ant and Dec played PJ and Duncan from 1989 to 1993. In addition to Casualty and Byker Grove, Sammy’s television repertoire includes the successful BBC comedy Boy Meets Girl and more recently, Dave’s award-winning comedy Meet the Richardsons, which has seen guest appearances from numerous comedians over the years, including Russell Kane, Sally Phillips, and Rob Beckett.

Sammy’s TV career didn’t start with Casualty (Image:

BBC)

Since joining the cast of the BBC medical drama earlier this year, Nicole has been embroiled in a surrogate storyline, where she becomes a surrogate mother for her friend Rosie, who was left paralysed following a car accident involving the two. The plotline resonates deeply with the actress, who survived a horrific car crash in 2010 that resulted in severe injuries, including the loss of an eyelid, a broken thigh bone, and significant facial damage.

The accident not only resulted in the star being wheelchair-bound for three months but also sparked fears that her career might be over. In a candid chat with the Mirror, Sammy shared: “Life is so utterly unpredictable. I have come full circle! It felt so bizarre that I had lost my career because of a car accident and then I was being brought in as a character who’d had one. When they initially told me, ‘you’ve been in a car crash’, my instant reaction was, ‘how did you know? ‘ But they were talking about my character, Nicole, rather than me!”

A young Sammy starred in Byker Grove from 2001 to 2005 (Image:

byker-grove.tumblr.com/page/44)

Reminiscing about the dreadful event, she said: “I just saw headlights right in front of me,” and revealed how evasive action failed as both vehicles swerved in the same direction. “I tried to swerve to get out of his way, but he swerved the same way, so he hit my car at well over 50mph and it flipped over into an adjacent field,” reports OK!

In the terrifying ordeal, Sammy described how her face smashed through the window while braking, leading to a severe injury where her thigh bone shattered upon impact. Following this, emergency responders laboured for 90 minutes to free her from the wreck.

Further injuries came to light later when Sammy learned she had fractured her spine, necessitating a long and challenging journey back to walking without assistance.