The dark side of being a soap star: Nicola Charles was SPAT on in public after featuring in Neighbours' most scandalous affair - but says the raunchy storyline was all HER idea By Katie Storey For Daily Mail Australia Published: 02:53 BST, 27 May 2019 | Updated: 04:15 BST, 27 May 2019 Viewcomments When Dr Karl Kennedy cheated on his wife Susan with Sarah Beaumont, it was deemed one of the most scandalous affairs in Neighbours and Australian TV history. People were left so angered by the soap affair that Nicola Charles, who played Sarah, has revealed she was once spat on and called a 'b****' by a female fan in London. Speaking to News.com.au, Nicola revealed the raunchy storyline had been all her idea, as she recalled the moment she was shockingly confronted by the fan. Shocking: Nicola Charles, who played Sarah Beaumont on Neighbours, revealed she was once spat on and called a 'b****' by a fan in London, after her character's affair aired on the soap Nicola said she had been shopping in London outside Knightsbridge store Harrods when a woman came up to her back in 1998. '[She] spat in my direction. It landed on my foot and she said, "You stay away from Susan, you horrible b****,"' Nicola said. 'Can you believe it?' Her character's affair with Dr Karl had just been revealed on Australian soap Neighbours, that at the time had a huge following in the UK. Scandal: Dr Karl Kennedy (played by Alan Fletcher) cheated on his wife Susan with Sarah back in 1998 and it was deemed one of the most scandalous affairs in Neighbours and Australian TV history Taking the credit: Nicola revealed that the raunchy storyline had been all her idea and she wrote it for Neighbours bosses after growing bored of her character - 18-months after Sarah's debut on the soap The storyline was a huge hit for the soap's ratings, as it rocked one of Neighbour's most solid and clean-cut couples, Dr Karl (played by Alan Fletcher) and his wife Susan (Jackie Woodburne). Nicola's character Sarah joined Ramsay Street in 1996 and began working for Karl as a receptionist at his GP practice. But, the actress admits she began to get bored of her character 18-months after her debut and that's when she came up with the idea to get Karl to cheat with Sarah. 'I was what I used to call a MTA - a model turned actor - so I thought to myself, "What I'll do, is instead of being famous on Neighbours, I'll be infamous,"' Nicola explained. Spicing things up: Outside of the soap Nicola took part in shoots for lad titles such as FHM and Loaded in a bid to make herself 'infamous' and believed her scandalous storyline would help to 'secure' her role on Neighbours Outside of the soap she had taken part in a number of saucy magazine shoots for lad titles such as FHM and Loaded and believed her scandalous storyline would help to 'secure' her role on Neighbours. It took a year for bosses to finally put the wheels in motion and Nicola says she loved working alongside Alan on the storyline she wrote. On the show, Karl and Susan went on to save their marriage and Sarah's exit from Neighbours aired in 1999. Although, that wasn't the last fans saw of her on the show, as Nicola returned to Neighbours in 2012 and 2013, before returning again in 2016 where viewers saw Sarah reveal to Susan she was dying of cancer. Recurring role: Nicola originally left Neighbours in 1999, but later returned in 2012 and 2013, before reprising her role as Sarah once more in 2016 for a cancer storyline Susan and Karl pushed for Sarah to seek treatment, with Karl sending her to a facility in Germany and her later revealing she is in remission. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in June 2018, Nicola insisted she 'feels bad' for leaving Neighbours and revealed she is in talks to return once more. She said: 'I've had a conversation with Jason [Herbison], and I'm going to meet him for coffee to discuss what's happening. I think it would be marvelous, I'd love to go back.' 'I'd love to go back' Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in June 2018, Nicola insisted she 'feels bad' for leaving Neighbours and revealed she is in talks to return once more Read more: Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility