Celebrated Actor 'Nicholas Ball' Dies

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Actor Nicholas Ball, known for his memorable roles in British television, has passed away at the age of 78, his agent announced on Thursday.


Ball famously portrayed gang lord Terry Bates in the BBC soap 'EastEnders', a character who made a lasting impression by attacking Peggy Mitchell (played by Barbara Windsor) and wreaking havoc at the Queen Victoria pub. He also starred in the drama 'Footballers' Wives' as Garry Ryan, the rock-star-turned-chairman of a football club.

In a statement, Ball's agent revealed that the actor "passed away following a short illness" and praised his "successful acting career on stage and screen, which spanned an impressive six decades."

Nicholas Ball's tenure on 'EastEnders' lasted from 2007 to 2009. His character Terry Bates was arrested and convicted for the murder of Jase Dyer (played by Stephen Lord), one of the soap's most gripping storylines. Terry Bates was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment, and his off-screen death was depicted in 2019, with scenes showing his wife Viv Bates (Dido Miles) arranging his funeral.

Ball also led the private detective series 'Hazell', playing James "Jim" Hazell, a Cockney ex-policeman created by Gordon Williams and footballer Terry Venables, who co-authored the original books under the pseudonym P.B. Yuill. The show ran for two series from 1978 to 1979, comprising 22 hour-long episodes, and featured Roddy McMillan as Detective Inspector "Choc" Minty.

In addition to his notable TV roles, Nicholas Ball made appearances in crime series such as 'Jonathan Creek', 'Hustle', 'Heartbeat', and 'Bergerac', as well as comedies 'Red Dwarf' and 'The Young Ones', and the drama 'The Crezz'. His film credits include 'Overlord', 'Rogue Male', 'The Krays: Dead Man Walking', and the Jilly Cooper adaptation 'The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous'.


Recently, Ball filmed the 2024 rural drama 'The Kingdom By The Sea' alongside 'Coronation Street' actress Rula Lenska. He was also a prolific voice artist, narrating works by authors like Christopher Hitchens and James Maybrick. He had been set to reprise his role as David Willis in 'Trafficking 2' and was scheduled to voice the narrator in the upcoming animation 'The Loneliest Cow'.

Nicholas Ball is survived by his widow, Ayda. He was previously married to Pamela Stephenson, a comedian turned therapist, known for being Sir Billy Connolly's second wife, whom he met on the set of 'Not The Nine O'Clock News'.

Fans and colleagues paid tribute to the actor on Thursday, with one fan tweeting, "Nicholas Ball was absolutely brilliant as Terry Bates in 'EastEnders'. One of the show’s more underrated villains."

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