Inside EastEnders star Paul Bradley's life away from soap as Nigel Bates' health battle confirmed

EastEnders is set to reveal Nigel Bates’ (played by Paul Bradley) big secret following his surprise arrival in Walford. Over Christmas, Nigel returned to Albert Square for the first time in 26 years, and quickly reunited with his old friend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).

It was clear Nigel is going through a bad time as he appeared to be homeless and separated from him wife Julie. Phil urged Nigel to move in with him and in return Nigel is trying to support Phil through his period of loneliness.

But there is still mystery surrounding Nigel's comeback after he initially said he had split from his wife but she has been contacting him to return home. Nigel was also left shocked when Phil decided to sign his share of the Boxing Den over to him - an offer he refused.

In upcoming scenes, Nigel considers leaving Walford, but he instead decides to pay a visit to the laundrette. Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) supports him, and he ends up revealing a big secret.

Phil becomes worried about his friend’s whereabouts, and he joins forces with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) who helps him search for Nigel. As Nigel continues to open up to Yolande about why he has really returned to Walford, Phil arrives on the scene.

Next week, Yolande continues to provide Nigel with a shoulder to cry on and advises him to tell Phil what’s really going on with his health. But what exactly is Nigel hiding?

As Walford icon Nigel takes centre stage, let's take a look inside the life of actor Paul Bradley.

Bradley, 69, is originally from Warwickshire and first appeared in EastEnders between 1992 and 1998. His iconic character was famed for being the kind hearted best pal of Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and running the local video store. He was also known for