EastEnder actor Nicholas Ball died ‘broke’ as his wife Ayda has been left with nothing from his will following his death last year aged 79 following a short illness

Actor Nicholas Ball left nothing to his wife Ayda following his death(Image: Jam Press/Ayda Kay)

EastEnders star Nicholas Ball left nothing to his wife following his death last year. The actor died aged 79 following a short illness and was known for portraying gang lord Terry Bates in the popular BBC soap.

His character is remembered for attacking Peggy Mitchell and causing havoc in the iconic Queen Victoria pub. Ball also appeared in Footballers’ Wives, where he took on the role of Garry Ryan, the club chairman and a former rockstar.

Despite his on screen success, record show Ball left no will and nothing in his estate. It comes after Darius Danesh’s ex-wife speaks out after pop star died after refusing operation.

Ball’s estate has been revealed(Image: PA)

Administration of Ball’s estate was granted to his wife Ayda Kay, who he wed in 2019 after over two decades together. A High Court document reads: “The application has stated that the gross value of the estate in the United Kingdom amounts to £0 and the net value amounts to £0.”

In June last year, Ball’s agent revealed in a statement that he had “passed away following a short illness” and noted that his acting career, which spanned theatre and the small screen, was impressively long-standing across six decades.

Ayda also shared a statement as she said at the time: “It is with the heaviest and broken of hearts, that I share the loss of my beloved Nicky-Nicholas Ball.”

Ball had been married to actress and psychologist Pamela Stephenson from 1978 to 1984, but she left him for comedian Billy Connolly.

Director Keith English paid tribute to him after his death, as he said: “Fabulous as star of hit TV show ‘Hazell’ in the 1980s, Nick was a terrific actor – kind and generous.

The actor died last year aged 79(Image: Geoffrey Swaine/REX/Shutterstock)

“He starred in our short film ‘Top Dog’ in 2001 in which he was great and we became life-long friends with him and his wife, Ayda Kay. Indeed, we were honoured when the pair of them asked if they could be married in our garden in 2019.

“A fabulous affair. One of our fondest memories was going to see Jerry Goldsmith play The Royal Albert Hall with him and his great friend Mel Smith.

“Mel had hired a box for the show. Both men were known hell-raisers and, sure enough, when the four of us rolled up they were both fairly merry and proceeded to football-chant ‘There’s only one Jerry Goldsmith!’ between musical pieces to an uneven response from the rest of the auditorium.

“Nick was a loving husband, friend and a wonderful actor. We enjoyed every minute of his company. Farewell and bon voyage.” His television credits extended to crime shows such as Jonathan Creek, Hustle, Heartbeat and Bergerac.

He also featured in comedies like Red Dwarf and The Young Ones, and the drama The Crezz. Ball secured roles in various film projects, including Overlord, Rogue Male, crime drama The Krays: Dead Man Walking; and an adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous.