EASTENDERS star John Altman left the soap after bosses tried to make his character Nick Cotton gay.
The 67-year-old actor, who played Dot Cotton’s villainous son off and on from 1985 until 2015, has revealed he had a showdown with producers over the idea.
5
Speaking to Bang Showbiz, he insisted the idea would have been completely out of character.
John said: “They tried to make Nick Cotton gay – it was years ago now.
“I went in there straight, and so did the other guy, Lofty, who was a bit of a loveable bozo in the early days.
“Anyway, they suddenly decided that he weren’t gay, they were gonna make him gay, and I didn’t think that was a good idea as it would’ve changed Nick’s character completely, really.
5
5
“So I went to the producer, I said, ‘I hear you’ve got this idea, but I don’t think it will work,’ and she said: ‘Well, write him out’ and I walked away. She was really harsh.”
However, that didn’t spell the end for Nasty Nick, with the character winding up making one of his many returns to the soap.
John added: “I went back. I was just written out for that period. If I’d have gone in playing a gay character, fine.
“But to suddenly make the character… I dunno, to me, as an actor, it would’ve been wrong. I don’t think the public would’ve wanted it either.”
5
5
Nick often popped back to EastEnders over the years, usually to torment his long-suffering mum Dot, even at one point trying to kill her and steal her bingo winnings.
Spoiler
sad end
Corrie’s Daniel sobs at wife Sinead’s funeral as her coffin is carried to church
Exclusive
TOT OF THE MORNING
Richard & Judy dote on grandson in behind the scenes This Morning pics
KID YOU NOT
Ryan Thomas misses daughter Scarlett’s birthday for first time ever
‘baby B’
Coronation Street’s Brooke Vincent reveals she’s given birth to a baby boy
scott sure
Strictly’s Alex Scott says Neil Jones’ future on series is in doubt after injury
Picture exclusive
MEGAN TOP-TENNER
Megan McKenna’s joy as her X Factor: Celeb song reaches No2 in the charts
DAN AND OUT
Corrie’s Daniel takes son Bertie & leaves Weatherfield following Sinead’s death
ARG DRAMA
James Argent ‘struggling with eating disorder’ as he breaks silence on ‘overdose’
MOT IMPRESSED
Strictly viewers spot Motsi Mabuse’s outrage as Cath Tyldesley is voted off
SPOOKY SMITH
EastEnders’ Maisie Smith dresses up in a catsuit and black wig for Halloween
However, in the end it was Dot who did for Nick, allowing him to die after he suffered a fatal reaction to heroin.
The character is one of a handful of EastEnders legends to appear in the soap’s first ever episode in 1985.
He was responsible for the death of Reg Cox, whose dead body was discovered in the opening scene, and ended up dying himself in the same spot 30 years later.
EastEnders Dotty Cotton tries to murder evil dad Nick after refusing to kill grandmother Dot