Vicki's character was written out in 1995, after Susan Tully, who played Vicki's mother Michelle, decided to leave the soap. After an eight-year absence, she was reintroduced by Executive Producer Louise Berridge in 2003 as a rebellious teenager. Her reintroduction was part of the soap's attempt to rebuild the Watts clan, a successful family headed by Den, that featured prominently in the 1980s. Johnson quit the role in 2004. The media was generally critical about the character upon her return due to her American accent and its sudden disappearance. During the character's original stint, a storyline featuring Vicki being kidnapped was criticised due to its coincidental airing alongside the real-life abduction and murder of toddler James Bulger.