5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Clare Bates’s emotional return and Max Branning seeks revenge

EastEnders is gearing up for a dramatic week as Clare Bates, played by Gemma Bissix, is set to return after a long absence.

It’s really tough seeing my dad, Nigel, like this. He’s so much weaker and more confused than I remember, and it breaks my heart. Things are also strained with my stepmum, Julie, as we’re trying to figure out the best way to move him into a care home, and honestly, we just keep bumping heads. It’s a really difficult time for all of us.

As Tim Walton continues to blackmail people, Max Branning steps in to defend Johnny Carter and Callum Highway, vowing to make Tim pay for his actions.

Ravi Gulati is concerned about Mark Fowler, and something unexpected happens at the Trueman’s home.

Here’s everything happening in EastEnders between Monday 2 and Thursday 5 March.

5 EastEnders spoilers for next week

1. Max Brannings takes matters into his own hands with Tim Walton

The Carters are facing a difficult period, as Linda reveals to Elaine that she had the power to prevent Tim from manipulating Callum.

Elaine thinks it would be best to keep quiet, but she can’t resist telling Johnny the truth. He’s angry she got involved, and even more upset when she goes to his office and starts arguing with Tim.

Johnny tells his date to leave, then reluctantly agrees to have a drink with a questionable investor. He wants to maintain a good relationship with the investor, but the situation escalates when Callum sees them together.

Linda is frustrated with how her son is being treated and tells Max everything. Max decides to help by pretending to be Tim’s taxi driver. She immediately informs Johnny, but he explains he’s dealing with his own issues with Callum and can’t get involved right now.

Okay, so Callum’s absolutely seeing red, but then Johnny attempts to explain his actions, claiming he was just trying to look out for both Callum and Lexi—Isabella Brown does a great job portraying her, by the way. Meanwhile, things are really heating up with Max; he’s delivered a seriously stern warning to Tim – basically, he’s banned from Walford for life. It’s a pretty dramatic episode, and those two confrontations definitely steal the show.

What lengths has he gone to, and will this bring an end to Johnny and Callum’s turmoil?

2. An emotional week for Nigel Bates as stepdaughter Clare returns

Following Nigel’s serious health scare, Julie and Phil realized they needed to find a different long-term care solution. They were relieved to learn a spot had opened up at a care home, ready for when he’s discharged from the hospital.

But their peace is disrupted when he demands to see his estranged stepdaughter, Clare. They haven’t spoken in years, ever since he disapproved of her lifestyle choices when she was growing up.

Phil believes his wife, Julie, needs to be told about his early-onset dementia, but she’s hesitant. When their friend Lexi learns what’s happening, she urges Julie to tell Phil, and Julie finally agrees to make the tough call.

The following day, Clare arrives in Walford and catches up with her friend Chelsea Fox. She then goes to the Mitchells’ house, where a tense atmosphere immediately develops between her and Julie. Phil steps in, firmly telling them to keep their conflict away from the hospital.

She’s shaken to see him look so fragile, and is upset when he fails to recognise her.

Clare gets some encouragement from Lexi, who tells her to try and reconcile with Nigel before it’s too late. Together, they decide to let Nigel leave the hospital and bring him back to The Vic, where they throw him a celebratory party, much to Julie’s annoyance.

Kat Moon and Zoe Slater are busy getting everything ready for a special occasion, and the whole community is pitching in to make it a warm and welcoming event.

Julie and Clare are still not speaking, so Chelsea tries to help them work things out. At the same time, Yolande Trueman shares some helpful advice with Julie and Phil as Nigel prepares for a major decision in his life.

It was a lovely evening, and I watched as Phil, Julie, and Clare drove Nige to his new place. Seeing him there, it really hit me just how big of a change this was for him – it was starting to feel very real.

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3. Ravi Gulati worries for Mark Fowler after a police sting

After Ravi experienced a mental health crisis, Priya comforts their children, Nugget and Avani, telling them he will recover. Meanwhile, Jack worries about whether he can keep working as an informant, but he’s determined to manage it.

When Ravi discovers the police are planning an operation to arrest some of the gang’s less important members, he worries about Mark getting caught.

Priya firmly told him to stay uninvolved, even if Mark was arrested, but he found it hard to resist sharing everything with his new friend over drinks. When Priya unexpectedly showed up, though, he changed his mind and held back.

She asserts that if he steps in, he’ll lose everything.

Throughout the week, the pair continue to disagree about telling Mark what they know. At the same time, Vicki Fowler asks her brother for some time off, but he insists she finish her work first.

4. Patrick Trueman is becoming reliant on AI Anthony

Patrick (Rudolph Walker) felt deeply guilty at Christmas following the death of his son, Anthony (Nicholas Bailey). Earlier that day, he had desperately wished that he himself had died instead of his older son, Paul (Gary Beadle).

After losing someone he cared about, young Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega) coped by creating an AI replica of the person he’d lost, a decision that deeply upset his father, Patrick.

In the next part of the story, he starts depending on the technology more and more, and his wife, Yolande, becomes concerned about him.

Howie Danes notices the negative impact Anthony’s artificial intelligence is having on people, so he goes to see Patrick Trueman, hoping to get him to talk about it.

5. Howie Danes tries to reignite the spark with Kim Fox

Last December, Howie faced criticism from the Trueman family after he was caught blackmailing Oscar Branning to get back the money Patrick had won betting.

Kim, played by Tameka Empson, had asked him to leave, and he disappeared for a while. However, he unexpectedly reappeared at Anthony’s funeral to express his sympathy.

He’s hoping to rebuild his relationship with Kim next week and is happy when she shares her worries about Patrick with him. When he goes to talk to Patrick, he’s pleasantly surprised by how well the conversation goes.

Patrick urges Howie not to waste any time and to try and win Kim back.

Inspired by what he said, he’s planning a surprise for Kim at The Prince Albert bar. He gets her to go there, and she’s shocked to find him singing to her, surrounded by drag queens.

How will she react?

Let me tell you, if you’re looking for your daily dose of drama, you absolutely need to add EastEnders to your watchlist. And the easiest way to do that – and get tons of other great TV recommendations, too – is by downloading the TopMob: What to Watch app. Seriously, it’s become my go-to for staying on top of everything good on TV.

Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, providing the latest news and spoilers for popular shows like Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and even gained on-set experience with both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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2026-02-24 04:06