Nigel Bates has returned to the BBC cleaning soap EastEnders for the primary time in 26 years in a particular Christmas Eve episode.

The character, performed by Paul Bradley, appeared at a neighborhood centre the place Yolande Trueman, performed by Angela Wynter, was volunteering in the course of the episode.

Nigel left the present in April 1998 when he and his adopted daughter Clare left Albert Sq. to start out a brand new life in Scotland together with his associate Julie Haye and her son Josh.

“I am thrilled and honoured to be again as Nigel,” Bradley stated.

“Regardless of it being such a very long time in the past, I nonetheless get recognised as Nigel on the street.”

EastEnders’ government producer Chris Clenshaw stated it was “implausible” to welcome again Bradley.

He additionally teased: “There’s a number of thriller about Nigel’s scenario and why he is right here alone, which shall be revealed within the coming weeks.”

On Christmas Day, Nigel shall be reunited together with his childhood greatest buddy Phil Mitchell, performed by Steve McFadden, the BBC stated.

Bradley stated he was having a very good time working with McFadden once more.

“I am an enormous admirer of his work, and he units the bar actually excessive,” he added.

Throughout his first run within the present, his character’s greatest storylines noticed him fall in love together with his video store worker Debbie Tyler, performed by Nicola Duffett, earlier than she was killed in a hit-and-run accident, and strike up a friendship with June Brown’s Dot Cotton who noticed him as the opposite son she by no means had.