Wicks started her career in television as a casting assistant on such programmes as Prime Suspect, Dalziel and Pascoe and The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, before deciding to switch to an acting career. She trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art from 1996 to 1998. In addition to her appearances for five years in the daily Doctors, Wicks has also appeared in several other shows including Harbour Lights, The Bill, Holby City, Grange Hill and played a barrister in Life on Mars. She also appeared on the special charity "TV Medics" edition of The Weakest Link in December 2001 finishing in the final 3. Wicks joined the regular cast of Emmerdale in November 2010 on a nine-month contract as Ella Hart, the ex-wife of Declan Macey. The character of Ella Hart gave Wicks the chance to be more provocative and flirtatious than many of her previous screen credits allowed. In June 2011 the short term contract was ended and Wicks's character was written out of the programme when Stuart Blackburn took over as producer. However, the door has been left open for the character's possible return. Wicks received a Best Actress nomination at the Royal Television Society Awards in both 2004 and 2005. As well as playing her role in Emmerdale for ITV, Wicks acted in the BBC's adaptation of Nigel Slater's best selling memoir Toast ; she played young Slater’s secondary school teacher. Wicks also had a guest role on Coronation Street in 2019.
Theatre
Her theatre acting credits include Trevor Nunn’s production of Harold Pinter’sBetrayal at The Royal National Theatre, Attempts on Her Life, Six Degrees of Separation and Dinner with the Family. Wicks completed a UK tour in 2007 with the production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, that co-starred her husband Tom Butcher and in 2009/10 toured the UK in "The Holly and The Ivy" playing the drunken and damaged Margaret Gregory. In 2015, she again co-starred with her husband, this time in a touring production of The Ghost Train and in the Francis Durbridge play Murder with Love. Other theatre work includes UK touring productions of The Devil at Midnight, Stone Cold MurderDeath Toll and Strictly Murder.
Personal life
Wicks was born and raised in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. She married her Doctors co-star Tom Butcher in November 2005. Although married, Wicks does not live with her husband; with him living in London and she continuing to live at her home in Birmingham. The couple do not go for more than two weeks at a time before meeting up.
