EastEnders star John Altman admits he’s in contact with ZERO of his soap co-stars and only sees them at funerals
EASTENDERS actor John Altman has admitted that he doesn't keep in contact with any of his former soap co-stars.
The actor rose to fame thanks to his infamous role as Nasty Nick Cotton in the BBC soap EastEnders.
He last appeared on the show in 2015 when his character was killed off after 30 years and being one of the few remaining stars who appeared in the programme's very first episode.
But now 10 years on, and as EastEnders prepares to celebrate turning 40, John has admitted he has lost touch with many of his former soap pals.
The actor made the confession during an interview for a one-off special of TV presenter Hayley Palmer's Saturday night show, Hayley at the Hippodrome.
Speaking to Hayley and a packed-out audience, John said: "I don't really keep in contact with any of the cast members.
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"I just tend to see them at funerals or at charity nights - there's been too many funerals.
"When you are at EastEnders, you have to sort of cut yourself off from the world as you are at it every single day of the week.
"Even on the weekend, you are always learning lines - it's not glamorous!
"So when you're not in it, they are all still in 'that world' and I'm in the normal world."
Elsewhere, John spoke extensively with Hayley about the late June Brown, who played his on-screen mother, Dot Cotton.
He recalled a time where the directors forgot to yell "cut" which led him and June to continue improvising their scenes as they knew their characters so well, they knew exactly what they'd say and how they'd react.
John told Saturday Night with Hayley Palmer: "June and I knew our characters so well that we just kept on improvising.
"The crew must have been looking around wondering where all the missing pages of script had gone!"
Nick Cotton died of a drugs overdose as part of the show's 30th anniversary celebrations in February 2015.
Since then, John has become a regular on the panto circuit, even playing the good guy, as well as dabbling in presenting work.
As well as chatting to John on her special show filmed at The Hippodrome in London, Hayley spoke to BGT icon Francine Lewis, politician Esther McVey and X Factor popstar, Chico.
Saturday Night With Hayley Palmer airs Saturdays on ChannelBox on Freeview channel 271.
