Nicola Roberts and her sister Frankie in 1995 and 2022. Later photograph: Simon Webb/The Guardian. Styling: Georgia Nash. Archive photograph: courtesy of Nicola Roberts
While Nicola and I have never properly fallen out, we fought a lot as kids. Ball-of-rage fistfights. There would be props involved: pans, picture frames, plugs, Hoovers – hot water was a thing at one point. Nicola was vindictive with it. Once we had an argument, probably about something stupid like me moving her Pot Noodle, and instead of getting me right away, she bided her time. She said she’d wash my hair before bed and when it was time to do it she scalded me.
Although our local community got behind her – there were banners on roundabouts saying “Vote Nicola” – the older girls I’d run into were jealous of her and mean to me. There were pockets of real resentment. I tried to fight them and always knew how to stand up for myself, even though they were six years older. They weren’t going to do anything.
That said, it’s hard having a sister in the public domain. I was so young when Nicola faced a lot of criticism in the press, the sort of things you should never say about somebody, especially not a teenage girl. Looking back, it’s really hard to know that someone you love, someone so beautiful, could have been seen in a negative way.
It didn’t make a difference that I was the oldest of four back home – that was a small pond and this was a massive ocean
NicolaRoberts You two have the sweetest bond. 🤍
The slide between old and recreated pic is 🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾 - also anxiously awaiting my CinderellasEyes vinyl to reach my door, across the pond 😭