Nigel Bates
| Nigel Bates | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Paul Bradley | ||||||||
| Duration | 1992โ1998 | ||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 742 17 March 1992 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | Episode 1608 30 April 1998 | ||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
| Introduced by | Leonard Lewis | ||||||||
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Nigel Bates is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul Bradley from 1992 to 1998. Introduced in 1992 by Leonard Lewis, the character was incorporated gradually and brought back as a regular following a brief stint due to a popular reception. He is depicted as a lovable loser and a nerd. Bradley quit the role and Nigel was written out of the serial in April 1998 and was given a happy ending. The door was left open for a possible future return.
Storylines
Nigel attended school with Phil and Grant Mitchell (Steve McFadden and Ross Kemp) and starts frequenting the Mitchells' home town of Walford in 1992, before finally moving there himself following the death of his mother later that year. He lodges with Dot Cotton (June Brown) and is known in the community for his extravagant shirts and ties, and his mop of shaggy curly hair. Dot comes to think of Nigel as the son she never had because he is the complete opposite of her own son Nick (John Altman). This causes trouble between Nigel and Nick when Nick bullies Nigel, jealous of Dot's friendship with him.
In 1993, he falls in love with
Following a long period of mourning, Nigel grows close to
Dot occasionally visits Nigel off-screen. Clare returns to Walford in February 2008 to stay with Dot. Nigel is meant to visit her in July 2008, but does not arrive. This upsets Clare and she confides in Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) that her and Nigel's relationship had become strained in her time away from Walford. According to Clare, Nigel had transferred his affections to Julie's son Josh as he struggled to cope with Clare's teenage dalliances. In October 2009, Pat reveals that Nigel had suffered a heart attack and Dot goes to visit him.
Creation and development
Nigel was one of several introductions occurring in 1992. Executive producer
Nigel first appears in March 1992 as a friend of established characters Grant (Ross Kemp) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), when he comes to Walford and buys Frank Butcher's (Mike Reid) Mercedes. After a successful first appearance, Nigel moves to the soap's setting permanently later in the year following the death of his mother and became the lodger of Dot Cotton (June Brown).[1]
Paul Bradley has discussed his casting in Larry Jaffee's book, Albert Square & Me: The Actors of Eastenders, conducted in 1994: "I was only supposed to do three episodes and I think they just liked the character. Nigel is kind of light and funny and arrived just after
Bradley has described Nigel as "harmless and amiable ... I suppose he's a bit of a wallie. Nigel is very well-meaning. He was best mates at school with Phil and Grant. Where they would use their fists, he would use jokes to get out of trouble."
In 1993, two characters central to Nigel's narrative are introduced: A love-interest
In December 1996, it was announced that Bradley decided to quit EastEnders for fear of being typecast as a nerd and "lovable loser".[6][7] He was the third senior cast member to quit in as space of two months, following the announced departures of Jacqueline Leonard and Paul Nicholls who played Lorraine and Joe Wicks. Bradley said, "I have made a decision about leaving EastEnders and I have told the BBC about it. I know it is regular work and you are in the public eye, but it is time to move on. Much as I love playing Nigel, I would not like people to think that was all I did. I did a lot of work before EastEnders and I will after. I don't want to be like some people who've been in [ITV soap opera] Coronation Street for 20 years - I'm much too restless." A BBC insider commented, "It's a real blow that Paul wants to go, but we hope that he doesn't close the door altogether. It's very worrying that so much of the top talent is wanting out of Albert Square."[6]
The character remains on-screen until April 1998 and was given a "happy ending", leaving to begin a new life with a newfound love Julie Haye (Karen Henthorn), allowing for a future return.[8] Henthorn has suggested that because Nigel was "such a popular character", and because he had such an unsuccessful love life throughout the course of the show, the producers of EastEnders felt that the viewing public would not want him to have anything other than a "happy ending".[9]
Reception
In 2020, Sara Wallis and Ian Hyland from The Daily Mirror placed Nigel 90th on their ranked list of the best EastEnders characters of all time, calling him "Nerdy" and Grant's "conscious" who was famous for his "natty shirts and ties".[10]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-563-37057-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4401-5987-9.
- ISBN 978-0-563-55178-2.
- ISBN 978-0-563-52165-5.
- ^ "From champagne and oysters to stew and lemonade...my EastEnders high life has gone West". The Mirror. 4 May 1997. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ a b "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF BEING A NERD; Why Nigel is quitting Albert Square". The Mirror. 4 June 1997. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ "Nerdy Nigel the loser is quitting EastEnders". The Mirror. 29 December 1996. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ "LOVE AT LAST FOR NIGEL THE NERD". The Mirror. 16 November 1997. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- ^ "Interview with Karen Henthorn". Walford Gazette. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
- ^ Sara Wallis; Ian Hyland (12 June 2020). "100 Best EastEnders characters ever". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 20 October 2023.