Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) leaves Walford next week in EastEnders and moves into a care home.
Shortly after the beloved character returned in 2024, he revealed his dementia diagnosis to friends Phil and Grant Mitchell (Steve McFadden and Ross Kemp).
Phil and Nigel’s partner Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) have been determined to support Nigel and act as his carers, but ensuring he’s safe at all times became increasingly difficult as his condition progressed.
Following the incident that saw Nigel almost drown in the bath, Phil and Julie concluded they needed to put him in a care home.
Next week, Julie learns from the care home that Nigel’s place is available, and he can move into the accommodation when he leaves the hospital.
Julie is pleased, but then faces another problem as Nigel keeps asking to see Clare (Gemma Bissix), his daughter. Phil tries to convince Julie to call Clare, but she puts her foot down.
However, once Lexi (Isabella Brown) learns about the situation, she gives Julie a new perspective and eventually, she makes the call.
Towards the end of the week, Clare arrives at Number 55. When they arrive at the hospital to see Nigel, Clare is taken aback when her dad fails to recognise her.
Clare continues to clash with Julie, as she discharges her dad from hospital without telling anyone. Back at the pub, Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Zoe (Michelle Ryan) get everything ready for a party in Nigel’s honour.
Following the afternoon, Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) supports Julie, Clare, and Phil as they take Nigel to the care home to settle him in.
Understandably though, the enormity of the situation begins to take a heavy toll on all three of them.
Can they adjust to their new normal?
‘I was just so chuffed because I haven’t seen Paul Bradley in over 20 years and so to be able to reconnect with him and work with him again felt like time had stood still,’ star Gemma Bissix said as she reflected on her return to the show.
‘Paul is exactly the same lovely person he was before. He was sort of like a stepfather to me in real life at work, and Karen and I were close as well. They make me feel like I’m a child again, in the best possible way.’
She adds: ‘It was so lovely to see Steve McFadden. I was also really close to Barbara Windsor [who played Peggy Mitchell] when I worked there before, and she got me my agent when I left, and I’m still with that agency to this day, so there’s such a legacy for me there.’
