EastEnders star unrecognisable in new BBC role after alcohol and drug battle

29 June 2023 , 04:09

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Paul Nicholls played heartthrob Joe Wicks in EastEnders in 1996 (Image: BBC)

Former EastEnders star Paul Nicholls looks years away from his character at Albert Square after landing a new role on a BBC children's drama.

The actor rose to prominence as schizophrenic Joe Wicks on the long-running soap opera but his stint on the show lasted only one year after struggling with alcohol and drug addiction.

He was well known for his trademark curtains hair style and blond tips, but now at the age of 44 has opted for more mature, shorter dark look.

Paul has returned to the BBC for his new role as dad Carl in Phoenix Rise. He plays the father of 15-year-old Billy and 11-year-old Rihanna who attend a school for the excluded.

He has returned to BBC for children's drama Phoenix Rise (BBC Studios/ Khuram Qadeer Mirza)

Following his departure from EastEnders in 1997, Paul has had an array of roles in TV and film, including starring opposite Hollywood great Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

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He has spoken about his issues with alcohol and drug addiction, something Paul has said that was exacerbated when he had a near-fatal accident in Thailand in 2017.

Paul was suffering from hypothermia and severely injured leg when he was trapped at the base of a waterfall after falling from the Thai jungle. He was reportedly rescued three days after his fall.

According to Paul, he battled a staggering 37 different infections including malaria, cholera and dengue fever. He also revealed that he was left in hospital on his own in Samiu for six months on intravenous antibiotics before returning to Manchester.

He then suffered a stroke the following year which nearly killed him. After initially being paralysed on the right side of his body, physiotherapy helped regain movement.

However, he believes the treatment triggered "deep depression" and saw him relapse in 2020 with a four day drug binge.

Paul only portrayed the role for one year (BBC)

He has previously spoken to The Sun about his relapse. He said: "I was taking lots of dihydrocodeine, a very strong opiate pain killer and on top of that, cocaine... every time I relapsed cocaine is always present.

'At certain points I'd be gone for three or four days and not sleep at all. I stopped caring, I pressed the 'f*** it' button.

'The last time I ended up in a flat with people smoking stuff, doing this and doing that. They recognised me. I was looking around and I thought, 'If I don't stop, I will die'. I've still got so much shame around this stuff."

Josh Luckhurst