EastEnders airs returns for 4 iconic characters for format-breaking Nigel episode in early BBC iPlayer release

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Okay, so EastEnders is really bringing back the classics! After seeing Pat Evans back on my screen yesterday – Pam St Clement is amazing, by the way – they’ve announced four more iconic characters are heading back to Walford. It’s like a blast from the past, and honestly, I’m here for it!

Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), who has early-onset dementia, had a very upsetting evening after realizing his wife, Julie (Karen Henthorn), was injured because he had lashed out at her while searching for his missing cufflinks.

She covered up her bruises with makeup, but the bright light from the projector showing his Christmas movie made them visible anyway.

He hurried out into the night, and as he did, his past began to feel distant. The lively music coming from the Queen Vic pub drew him in, where he surprisingly encountered Pat – a woman who had actually passed away in 2012.

She wasn’t the only ghost haunting the place – her step-son, Barry (Shaun Williamson), also materialized, performing karaoke songs.

While singing ‘Lonely This Christmas’ with Nigel, he became distracted thinking about a gift he’d purchased for Julie, but couldn’t locate. Strangely, he kept imagining he’d bought it for his ex-wife, Debbie (played by Nicola Duffett).

As he went around the bar, he was surprised to find a younger Phil and Grant Mitchell – Daniel Delaney and Teddy Jay – who reminded him about the missing gift and said they didn’t know who had it.

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Julie and Phil (Steve McFadden) searched frantically for him outside. They could hear Nigel inside the pub, but when they went in, he became panicked and told them to leave.

They rushed to the community center, hoping to find Kat and Alfie Moon (Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie) and get the keys. They wanted to reach him before things got worse, but they didn’t know he was now imagining Debbie – bringing actress Nicola Duffett back to the show after a thirty-year absence.

Phil gave Julie a necklace that Nigel had given him earlier, hoping it would help her understand what he was going through and bridge the gap between his conflicting perceptions of reality.

One after another, Phil, Grant, Pat, Barry, and Debbie all talked to Nigel, finally allowing him to notice Julie sitting right in front of him. They shared a sweet moment together before going home.

Everything that happened made Phil think Julie might be right about finding a different way to handle things, and unfortunately, he’d be the one to tell everyone.

Nigel sat on a bench, looking out over the neighborhood, and quietly acknowledged his declining health, saying they’d “reached the end of the road together.” It seemed he had come to terms with his medical condition.

How will Nigel, Phil and Julie navigate their future?

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Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, keeping fans up-to-date with the latest news and spoilers from all their favorite shows – including Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders (Walford), and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and even worked on the sets of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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2025-12-23 10:04