Nicholas Ball comp image also as Terry Bates in EastEnders (Credit: Shutterstock/BBC/Comp ED!)
Soaps

EastEnders and Terry Bates star Nicholas Ball passes away aged 78

Nicholas played bad guy Terry Lord on the BBC soap

Former actor in the BBC soap EastEnders, best known for playing the role of Terry Bates, Nicholas Ball has passed away at the age of 78.

The star also appeared in other television programmes such as Footballers’ Wives and Hazell.

Nicholas Ball’s agent has now confirmed the news of his sad passing, The Sun reports.

Nicholas Ball in a promo shot for play That's Love.
Nicholas has died aged 78 (Photo by Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock (743218d))

EastEnders star Nicholas Ball dies aged 78

Nicholas Ball might be best known by EastEnders fans for playing the role of Terry Bates between 2007 and 2009.

The star also appeared on screen in Footballers’ Wives and Hazell, playing the protagonist James Hazell in the latter.

Adding to this, Nicholas also appeared in shows such as Heartbeat, Jonathan Creek and Red Dwarf.

Sadly, The Sun has now reported today (Thursday, June 6), that Nicholas Ball has died at the age of 78 years old.

The actor’s agent confirmed that Nicholas ‘passed away following a short illness.’

Terry Bates in EastEnders looks menacingly at Jase
Terry was a drug lord (Credit: BBC)

Nicholas Ball as Terry Bates in EastEnders

Between the years of 2007-2009, Nicholas Ball played Terry Bates in EastEnders – a drug lord who roped in Walford resident Jase Dyer as part of his gang.

Terry’s gang caused trouble on the Square as they attacked the likes of Roxy Mitchell, Yolande Trueman and Peggy Mitchell.

Spending some time away from Walford, Terry soon returned and caused major trouble for Jase and he realised that he’d been stealing from him.

Terry then held Jase’s son Jay hostage but Billy and Jase managed to rescue him.

As the police came to arrest Terry, Billy hid in the bathroom and was unable to stop his next actions.

Being responsible for Jase’s murder after having his men beat him up, Terry was eventually sentenced to life in prison in 2009.

In 2019, the show revealed that Terry had died aged 74.

Read more: Who is leaving EastEnders this year?

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EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.

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Tamzin Meyer
Assistant Soap Editor