Paul Bradley expresses his joy at reprising his role as Nigel Bates in EastEnders after a long absence from the show
London: So, guess what? EastEnders legend Nigel Bates is back! Paul Bradley, who plays him, returned to Albert Square for the first time in almost 30 years during the Christmas Eve episode.
He said he feels “honoured” to be back after all this time. Can you believe it’s been 26 years? In the latest episode, Nigel popped up at the community center where Yolande was volunteering. It was such a nice surprise!
Now, if you’re wondering when he left, it was back in April 1998. He took off to Scotland with his adopted daughter Clare and his partner Julie. They were ready for a fresh start.
And guess what? He’s reuniting with his old buddy Phil Mitchell on Christmas Day! Paul, who’s now 69, shared how thrilled he is to be back as Nigel. He still gets recognized on the street, which is pretty cool.
He mentioned how great it is to see familiar faces at EastEnders. Everyone’s super friendly, and he’s having a blast working with Steve McFadden again. They really set the bar high for each other!
During his first run, Nigel had some intense storylines, like falling for Debbie Tyler before her tragic accident. He was also best friends with Phil and Grant back in school.
EastEnders’ executive producer, Chris Clenshaw, said it’s fantastic to have Paul back. There’s a lot of mystery around why Nigel is back alone, and we’ll find out more soon. Phil really needs his support this Christmas!
Don’t miss EastEnders on Christmas Day on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7.30pm!
