This article contains spoilers for tonight’s EastEnders, which has not yet aired on TV but is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

Tonight’s EastEnders offered an update on a show legend, and it wasn’t good news.

Viewers have followed Nigel Bates’ (Paul Bradley) dementia journey for several months now, since his return to Walford last winter.

When Nigel arrived in Albert Square, he reconnected with old friend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), but it took him a while to work up the courage to tell him why he was really back in London.

Eventually, Nigel’s young-onset dementia diagnosis was revealed, and he confessed that he had walked out on wife Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) to save her from having to care for him as his condition deteriorated.

However, in recent scenes, Nigel and Julie reconnected and, despite their differences, Phil allowed her to move into the house to prevent Nigel from having to choose between them.

It’s safe to say that Phil and Julie have yet to overcome said differences, and tonight’s episode saw them take very different approaches to Nigel’s illness.

After a disagreement over Julie’s chickens, the trio headed to the doctor’s surgery for Nigel’s assessment, where it was revealed that things were worse than they thought.

Though the doctor commended his physical health, she explained that his short-term memory had rapidly deteriorated.

However, it was clear that Julie was in denial, as she later insisted to Nigel that the doctor must have made a mistake and that everything would be fine.

After Julie and Phil bickered once more, this time over what was for dinner, Nigel pulled Phil aside for a chat, where he admitted that he didn’t want their living situation to make things difficult.

Phil assured him that he would make it work, because even though he doesn’t like Julie, he cares about Nigel and wants the best for him.

He admitted that he didn’t think Julie was good for Nigel, pointing out how she didn’t seem to be taking things seriously and was acting like he didn’t have a serious illness.

When Julie overheard this, she was furious and demanded that Phil stop reminding Nigel about ‘how bad his life is going to be’.

However, she was taken aback when Phil revealed that Nigel already knew and that he had come to Walford intending to take his own life.

How will Julie react to this devastating development, and will she and Phil be able to put their differences aside for Nigel’s sake?

Speaking about their complicated relationship, actress Karen Henthorn previously said: ‘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!’

She also confirmed that Julie is in it for the long haul, and won’t let Phil drive her away.

‘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,’ she explained.