OMG SHOCKING!!! EastEnders’ Phil makes a life-changing decision in very tragic death story

EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) has rarely, if ever, found himself in a battle he can’t win.

He’s had blood feuds with a number of rival Walford hardmen and gangsters, yet has a knack of coming out on top, even when it seems that all hope is lost. He’s taken on alcoholism, drug addiction, and even his own mental health, each having taken a sizeable amount from him, yet he eventually emerged the victor.

This time, though, Phil’s positioned himself against an enemy he simply can’t defeat: his best friend Nigel Bates’ (Paul Bradley) dementia, and this fact has been almost impossible for him to digest.

Ever since Nigel returned to Walford and Phil learned of his diagnosis, he pledged to stand beside him until the very end, becoming his full-time carer alongside Nigel’s wife, Julie (Karen Henthorn).

Though both tried their best, as Nigel’s condition progressed and became more debilitating, it became painfully clear that he was in need of professional care in a proper facility, something Phil simply couldn’t, and still hasn’t accepted. Since Nigel moved into the care home, Phil has yet to visit, having shared a heart breaking goodbye with his pal on the day he entered the facility.

This week sees Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) suggest that perhaps the time has come to contact his dad, and Phil’s brother, Grant (Ross Kemp) as Nigel’s pneumonia continues to worsen.

While the little Mitchell sister, Sam (Kim Medcalf) understands why Mark would suggest so, she sadly tells him that she, Grant and Phil have drifted apart since the death of the ultimate matriarch: their mum, Peggy (Barbara Windsor).

Mark is undeterred, though, and summons Grant back to the square, reuniting the Mitchell siblings for the first time in what feels like forever.

Grant’s arrival comes at the opportune time, as Sam begins to worry about Phil’s mental health amid Nigel’s deterioration. Grant is furious at Phil when he visits Nigel and sees the true extent of his condition, having had no idea how unwell he’d become. As the Mitchell’s gather later, things get heated and Phil kicks everyone out.

While Phil continues to suffer alone, Julie is forced to make the decision to withdraw treatment from Nigel, who’s not getting any better. When Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) pleads with Phil to see Nigel before it’s too late, he finds himself booted out, too, as Phil struggles to contain his raw emotion.

Grant is next to try and the brothers share heated words, but when Billy and Mark head to Phil’s later, they find him missing.

Grant finds Phil at a beach, though as he approaches him, he receives a call from Julie informing him that Nigel doesn’t have long left. Torn between his friend and his brother, Grant presses ahead with his plan, and he confronts Phil.

Tensions rise and emotion spills over as Grant and Phil collide yet again. As Albert Square residents take turns to bid Nigel goodbye, Phil is finally convinced and faces a race against time to make it back.

With Nigel barely clinging to life, will Phil get the chance to bid farewell to his best friend? Or will the chance be cruelly ripped away from him?