EastEnders’ Nigel Bates heads off on a pilgrimage with Phil Mitchell next week in a quest to find a time capsule from their youth.
As the best mates escape Walford for a while, the trip down memory lane prompts a heart to heart. Why is Nigel pulling away from wife Julie?
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“This adventure might be the last one for poor Nigel,” says our EastEnders source. “It’s a significant moment for him and Phil to strengthen their bond. But it also proves to Nigel that his memory doesn’t always fail him.”
When the week begins, Nigel is devastated to realise he left the gate open and overnight the chickens have been eaten by foxes! Blaming himself and his failing memory, Nigel becomes distressed as he argues with Julie over their loss.
Later that day, Nigel becomes suspicious by the number of calls Julie is receiving. She claims the calls are about a prospective job opportunity but something about their conversation triggers old memories and feelings…
“Nigel is floored by what he remembers,” explains our insider. “He doesn’t want to be anywhere near Julie and begs Phil to take him away from Walford. Just what has he remembered?”
To keep Nigel happy, the two men take a drive to the countryside, on a trip down memory lane. Nigel still has very vivid memories of their youth and convinces Phil they need to find a time capsule that they buried with Grant when they were lads.
Phil does his best to dissuade Nigel from the mission, certain it’ll be a wild goose chase, but he’s amazed when Nigel leads him to the exact spot where they buried the capsule all those years ago.
As the friends dig up the box, they have an emotional chat.
When Nigel and Phil return the next day, outcast Julie struggles as she feels like a third wheel to their tight-knit friendship. Ahead of her job interview, Julie is a bag of nerves, but the mood is lifted as Phil and Nigel help her prepare.
However, the improved atmosphere is shattered when Julie is forced to cancel her interview as Nigel needs looking after. After mistaking George for an ex-lover of Julie’s, Nigel becomes troubled.
With much deeper issues in Nigel and Julie’s marriage than first thought, can they overcome their tensions?
