Actor Paul Nicholls, who reprised his role as Joe Wicks on EastEnders this week, previously found himself in a lot of trouble when he was trapped at the foot of a waterfall
EastEnders heartthrob Paul Nicholls made a triumphant return as Joe Wicks on tonight’s episode (Thursday, 10 October). The beloved character, who is David Wicks’ son, hasn’t been seen on the hit BBC soap since 1997. During his hiatus from the show, in July 2017, the actor was trapped for three days at a Thai waterfall after breaking his legs.
Paul, 45, was discovered in severe pain at the bottom of Khun Si falls after a local noticed his deserted rental motorbike. The police traced the bike to his real name Gerrard Paul Greenhalgh which led to a search operation. He was found semi-conscious and suffering from hypothermia, partially submerged in a rock pool, unable to move to safety or find food.
“I am lucky to be alive,” Paul admitted. Speaking to The Sun, he said: “I had a phone with me but I fell from such a height into the water it was unretrievable. It took such a long time to find me. It’s an understatement to say it wasn’t a great situation. It wasn’t that I was lost. The problem was I couldn’t move to get out of there.”
Paul said he was “missing a kneecap” which needed “complete reconstruction”. It was reported that surgery for his leg would cost in the thousands of pounds in Thailand, and that the British Embassy were keen for him to be flown to the mainland for the operation. A spokesman for the British Embassy in Thailand said: “We are providing support to a British male injured in Koh Samui, Thailand, and remain in touch with local authorities.”
Paul’s surprising return to EastEnders comes after his on-screen dad, David, portrayed by Michael French, made his grand return to the BBC One soap this week, ten years after he last graced Walford, having first appeared in 1993. The infamous character burst onto the scene at his dad Pete Beale’s (Peter Dean) funeral and quickly became one of the most recognisable faces on the show.
Known for his womanising ways, David was involved in countless major storylines. His dramatic stint included fathering several children and getting into violent scraps. He even nearly had a fling with Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), only to find out she was his daughter.
The Walford bad boy also had an affair with his then-wife, Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), which almost led to Ian’s death. Actor Michael French bid farewell to the show in 1996, leaving viewers gutted
However, the baddie made a triumphant comeback to the soap over a decade later in 2012, before exiting again in 2014. Now, a decade on, David returned to the square this week, arriving to support his daughter Bianca amidst her erratic behaviour and depression diagnosis.
As for the much-anticipated return, actor Michael previously said: “I feel honoured to be asked to reprise the role of David Wicks once again. It may only be a brief visit, but we know from his past that David never fails to create a lot of drama in a very short time.”
