Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) is set to return to EastEnders next week after 27 years and we couldn’t be more excited.
Julie’s husband Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) has been back on Albert Square for some time now, after leaving his wife for tragic reasons without so much as a wave goodbye.
Viewers will know that Nigel is suffering from dementia, and he didn’t want Julie to have to watch as his condition deteriorated.
Hoping to save her the heartbreak, Nigel left unannounced – something that has deeply affected Julie.
‘Julie has been frantic ever since Nigel disappeared – she didn’t even know if he was alive or dead,’ actress Karen Henthorn explained.
‘She’s had flyers up, she’s posted all over social media, and she’s been desperate to find him.
‘Julie thought they had such a strong, solid life together up in Scotland that she never would have imagined that Nigel would go back to Albert Square.’
You can only imagine Julie’s surprise when she receives a call from Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) next week, after he finds Julie’s social media posts.
The next day, Julie finally arrives in Walford, but it isn’t a romantic reunion.
‘Julie is really angry when she arrives because she doesn’t know the full story. All she wants to do is see her husband at that point, but when she hears about Nigel’s dementia and how much it’s changed him, it comes completely out of the blue.’
The situation escalates when Julie spots Nigel and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) across the Square, and rushes over to them, leaving Nigel overwhelmed when he doesn’t recognise her.
‘Julie is still trying to process everything she’s been told when she bumps into Nigel on the Square.
‘It’s such extreme news and not what she was expecting at all. I think she goes into a bit of denial, and I have a line where she says, “You’re still my Nigel”.
‘He looks well, like the same Nigel, so she has a moment where she thinks Jay must have got it wrong, but he hasn’t, and that’s very hard for Julie to accept.’
It doesn’t take long for Phil and Julie to start arguing, as Karen explained.
‘Phil is very hostile and protective of Nigel, so Julie is on the receiving end of all of that. All Julie wants to do, as soon as she knows what’s going on, is to support her husband.
‘Julie doesn’t realise what Phil’s been through and how he and Nigel have been there for each other, so she doesn’t understand at all where Phil’s coming from, or why Phil doesn’t want her there.
‘She’s really angry because Phil knew where Nigel was all this time, and he could have told Julie. She doesn’t understand why he didn’t get in touch with her, and that leads to clashes between them.
‘Also, Julie believes Nigel should have as much support as possible, so she doesn’t get why Phil is trying to cut her out.’
Despite Phil’s reluctance to let her get involved, Julie is determined to help Nigel, and refuses to be pushed out.
‘Phil is a very stubborn man, so he’ll be a hard nut for Julie to crack. He’s not the sort of man who’ll sit down with her for a heart-to-heart and be open and honest.
‘For now, Julie is stuck in the middle of Nigel and Phil, and Nigel is stuck in the middle of Phil and Julie!
‘Even with the Phil situation, Julie knows that as long as she’s with Nigel and he knows how much she loves him, that’s what matters. They are facing a hard road ahead, but they’ve got each other now.
‘Julie loves Nigel more than anyone else, and she’ll go above and beyond to help him. Phil can be as difficult as he wants to Julie, she’s not going anywhere.’
