December 24th 2024.
After a long 26-year absence, fans were in for a treat when Nigel Bates unexpectedly returned to EastEnders in tonight's episode. The character, portrayed by actor Paul Bradley, first appeared on the show in 1992 and stayed until 1998. His comeback was confirmed earlier this month, just in time for the show's 40th Anniversary celebrations next year.
The milestone event will be marked with another live episode, where viewers will have the power to determine the outcome of a romance storyline. But before we get to that, let's talk about Nigel's surprise return and what he has been up to all these years.
In tonight's episode, we were all taken aback when Nigel was spotted at the community centre soup kitchen with Yolande Trueman. Yolande had recently rediscovered her faith after an emotional meeting with other survivors of Pastor Clayton's abuse. It was clear that Nigel had lost his way since we last saw him in Walford, leaving us all wondering what he had been doing all this time.
As Metro reports, Nigel is an old school friend of Phil and Grant Mitchell. He first arrived in Albert Square 32 years ago and became friends with Dot Cotton, the iconic god-fearing, chain-smoking character. He even found love in Walford with Debbie Tyler, whom he eventually married and adopted her daughter, Clare, after Debbie's tragic death.
Though Nigel hasn't been seen on the show since 1998, Clare returned in 2008 without him. However, he kept in touch with Dot and she visited him in Scotland off-screen when he suffered a heart attack a year later.
Aside from his role as Nigel in EastEnders, Paul Bradley is also known for his portrayal of Elliot Hope in the now-axed BBC medical drama Holby City. He played the character for ten years, from 2005 to 2015, and made a brief comeback in 2019 for the show's 20th anniversary celebrations. He last appeared in 2022, coinciding with the show's final episodes.
Fans might also recognize Paul from his appearances in parent show Casualty, where he played Elliot in 2010, 2012, and 2014. He has also recently been seen in BBC One's Beyond Paradise and two episodes of Doctors, which aired its final episode last month. However, his earliest role was in the madcap sitcom The Young Ones in 1982.
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We hope Nigel's return will bring some exciting new developments to the show and can't wait to see what's in store for him. Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below and stay tuned for more soap and TV news on our homepage. And if you have any soap or TV stories, videos, or pictures, don't hesitate to email us – we'd love to hear from you!
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