Nigel Bates returns to EastEnders, delighting fans with his first appearance in 26 years during the Christmas Eve episode
London: So, guess what? Nigel Bates is back on EastEnders after 26 long years! He popped up in the Christmas Eve episode, and fans are buzzing about it.
Paul Bradley, who plays Nigel, showed up at the community center where Yolande was volunteering. It’s like a blast from the past! Remember, he left the show back in 1998 to start fresh in Scotland with his daughter Clare and her new family?
Now, he’s back just in time for Christmas. The BBC teased that he’ll reunite with his old buddy Phil Mitchell on Christmas Day. How cool is that?
Paul, now 69, is super excited to be back. He mentioned how he still gets recognized as Nigel, even after all these years. He’s loving the friendly vibe on set and can’t wait to work with Steve McFadden again.
During his original run, Nigel had some wild storylines, like falling for Debbie Tyler, who sadly met a tragic end. He was also best mates with Phil and Grant back in the day.
EastEnders’ executive producer, Chris Clenshaw, is thrilled to have Paul back. He hinted that there’s a lot of mystery around why Nigel is back and what he’s been up to. It sounds like there’s more drama to come!