EastEnders star Paul Bradley reveals 'precious' keepsake from final episodes
EastEnders star Paul Bradley was given a special gift from castmate Steve McFadden to mark the end of his second stint on the soap.
Paul Bradley was gifted a "skimming stone" to commemorate his EastEnders exit.
The 70-year-old soap star has reprised his role as Nigel Bates in the beloved BBC show with his character set to lose his battle with dementia, and the actor admitted while he didn't consciously take something from the set, Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell) gave him an meaningful keepsake.
He told the BBC: "When I was first in EastEnders, they used to give you the brass plaque that was on your dressing room door, and I’ve kept that.
"I was going to put it on my dressing room this time, but I couldn’t find it, although of course I’ve found it now! [Laughs]
"I didn’t take anything, but one thing I do have which now sits in pride of place at home, and people won’t understand why until they’ve seen this week’s episodes, is a skimming stone.
"Steve gave it to me, and that’s a precious memory."
Paul first joined the long running soap from 1992 to 1998, before returning in 2024 for this final stint.
He described acting alongside Steve and Karen Henthorn (Julie Haye) as "one of the highlights" of his entire career.
He added: "Working with Steve and Karen again has been one of the highlights of my career, let alone my time at EastEnders, because the dedication, concentration and love that they’ve bought to the work is one of those enduring memories.
"It means we can look each other in the eyes in years to come, and without boasting, remember we did something special and that’s so rare. So, I’ll remember that."
Meanwhile, Paul heaped praise on the "dedication across the board" on the soap, including the crew on set.
He recalled: "We were doing a night shoot, and it was freezing cold, and in the scene, Nigel was on a stretcher.
"The costume department kept bringing me hot water bottles, extra blankets, and they were rubbing my feet because they weren’t covered, and it’s those sorts of acts of kindness and dedication that I’ll miss.
"I’ll miss the comradery. There is a great atmosphere at EastEnders, there is a great cast, and it’s a very warm, caring place to work."
