I personally thought Nicky was being reasonable, quite rightly shocked by Carole's massive over-reaction.
I was a bit confused by the whole thing, to be honest. That argument came out of nowhere, and I didn't really understand what it was about!
I do like Carole, but she lost it there!
I'm a bit dubious about Charley's comforting. It seemed very fake to me, and I wouldn't be surprised if she only acted as the peace-maker so she could get some airtime in a disagreement that she knew would be shown.