EastEnders fans stunned by revelation of Nasty Nick actor's age!

The Real Marigold Hotel
(Image credit: BBC/Twofour)

He's in good nick!

The Real Marigold Hotel viewers were left stunned last night after finding out how old EastEnders legend John Altman is.

John played EastEnders bad guy "Nasty" Nick Cotton on and off from 1985 to 2015 and fans are convinced he hasn't aged a bit.

Nasty Nick was killed off in the 30th anniversary episode after a long run on the BBC soap.

John Altman

John Altman immersed himself in Indian culture during his stay in Puducherry. (Picture: BBC)

Series four of the Real Marigold Hotel kicked off on Thursday, travelling to Puducherry.

He joined the likes of Duncan Bannatyne, Paul Chuckle and Zandra Rhodes in the latest series.

Fans were delighted to see him back on their screens, and they all said the same thing about the former soap star.

Taking to Twitter, many were shocked when they found out he was 67 years old!

One wrote, "Wait, John Altman is 67?!! NO WAY!!! He still looks like Nasty Nick Cotton from years ago!!!#TheRealMarigoldHotel"

Another added, "If John Altman is 67 then he was already in his thirties when #EastEnders started. I thought he was in his early twenties. Looking good. #TheRealMarigoldHotel"

A third wrote, "I can't believe that John Altman aka Nick Cotton is 67!!! OMGosh! #TheRealMarigoldHotel"

And a fourth wrote, "Nasty nick looks amazing for 67! #TheRealMarigoldHotel"

The first episode of The Real Marigold Hotel saw John Altman telling fans about his experience so far.

He said, "India hasn't disappointed me one bit. The colour and the madness and the vibrancy... I can see why the attraction might pull me in!"

"There's a great kind of magic to it, you want to see what's behind the next bend."

Alongside a group of other stars, John will discover whether retirement is more fulfilling in India than it is in the UK.

The Real Marigold Hotel and EastEnders both continue on BBC1.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress