Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) plan to take his dying pal Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) to Portugal may have been thwarted in EastEnders, but Nigel is set to face other life-changing situations next week.
The Walford favourite has been experiencing worsening dementia symptoms over the last few months, leaving his wife Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) at odds with Phil about Nigel’s future.
With Julie set on moving her husband into a care home, Phil sought to take matters into his own hands by sneaking off abroad with Nigel without Julie’s knowledge.
But with Phil’s secret plan later being exposed, a furious Julie moved out of No.55 with Nigel, relocating across the Square to Peacock Palace.
There are some both heart warming and heart breaking scenes ahead next week, as Nigel and Julie prepare for their vow renewal – before a life-altering development occurs.
The week begins with Nigel struggling to adapt to the unfamiliar surroundings of Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) and Linda Carter’s (Kellie Bright) ‘boutique hotel’.
When Linda overhears Julie cancelling plans, she offers to sit with Nigel so Julie can take a break. However, just as Julie is about to leave, Nigel gets distressed and accidentally hurts her. Witnessing the events, Linda is shocked to see multiple bruises on Julie’s arms, as the gravity of Julie’s struggle to care for Nigel dawns on her.
Linda, being the caring matriarch that she is, asks her close friend Phil to support Julie, unaware of the reasons why they aren’t speaking. But the former Queen Vic landlady is then stunned when Julie reveals all about Phil’s plan to take Nigel away.
Wanting to step up for Julie and Nigel, Linda offers to organise the couple’s vow renewal, and while Julie happily accepts the gesture, she warns Linda not to invite Phil to their celebrations.
As Nigel and Julie’s big day arrives, Nigel wanders over to No.55, presuming that his pal Phil is acting as his best man. However, with Phil in the dark about the nuptials, he’s furious to have not been invited and tells Nigel he will take him to the wedding.
What no one realises, however, is that Phil has actually received a call from a care home telling him that a place for Nigel has become available.
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Determined not to let Nigel end up in a care home, Phil has been withholding the information from Julie – but the clock is ticking, as they only have 24 hours to accept the place before it is offered to someone else.
Will Phil finally accept that he needs to do what is best for his friend, or will he harbour yet another secret that could deepen the rift between him and Julie?
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 2nd February at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
