SHOCKING NEWS!!! Linda and Grant united to save Phil in EastEnders
EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) battle with his mental health was one of the most harrowing soap plots in recent memory.
Though long-term viewers will have seen Phil deal with both alcoholism and crack addiction and take on a ‘who’s who’ of East End villains, gangsters and all around wrong’un’s, his war against his own head proved to be the most impactful, as depression gave way to psychosis and, ultimately, suicidal ideation.
Following the breakdown of his marriage to Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and the arrest and incarceration of son, Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), Phil found himself increasingly isolated.
His loneliness and reluctance to open up to anybody soon developed into terrifyingly vivid hallucinations of his family members, both living and deceased, as he revisited and relived the trauma of his childhood.
As he spiralled to his lowest point, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) and a recently returned Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) raced to find Phil as he planned to end his own life.
After being admitted into a mental health facility to receive care as an inpatient, Phil initially struggled to engage with the treatment, keeping to himself as he waited for his medication to begin working. Fellow patient Gaz (Keith Allen), though, encouraged him to open up, and Phil began to shed his ‘hardman’ persona and address his problems with real vulnerability.
Phil discharged himself from the facility and continued his recovery in the community, while also stepping up for his best friend, Nigel, as he battled early-onset dementia.
Phil pledged to become Nigel’s primary carer, alongside Nigel’s wife, Julie (Karen Henthorn), and the two did everything possible to ensure he was supported and looked after, until his symptoms became too difficult to manage at home and they were forced to make the heart breaking decision to place him into a care home.
Phil has since been unable to visit Nigel after saying a heart-wrenching goodbye on the day he moved in to the specialist facility.
Nigel, as expected, has continued to deteriorate and has struggled with pneumonia, which is set to ultimately claim his life next week. Prior to his passing, though, Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) decides to summon his dad, Grant, back to Walford to say his final goodbye, and reunite him with Phil and their sister, Sam (Kim Medcalf).
‘I think Grant is desperate to see his son,’ Ross says on his reaction to the unexpected phone call. ‘They’ve never had a relationship, and he may see this as the first step towards potentially building one.
‘He’s also shocked to hear from him in general and probably feels that, if Mark has reached out after all this time, then whatever is happening must be significant enough, and important enough, for him to come back to Walford immediately.’
Phil, already struggling mentally with Nigel’s deterioration and the inevitable conclusion, is confronted by Grant, though he later goes missing.
Talking about the Mitchell brother reunion, Ross says: ‘Initially, Grant is very angry with Phil because he believes Phil has been selfish and has abandoned Nigel by placing him in a care home. Over time, though, he begins to realise that Phil may be struggling himself.’
As Grant tries everything to get through to him as Nigel enters his final hours, it’s a race against time to reunite the best friends before it’s too late.
‘Eventually, the brothers sit down and have a heartfelt conversation and clear the air,’ Ross said. ‘These scenes were long and intense, and it was brilliant to film them with Steve.’
After Nigel’s passing, Phil is taken aback to return to the Square and discover the residents have decided to throw a celebration of Nigel’s life. While Julie is in awe of their kindness, Phil struggles to control his emotions and retreats, leaving both Grant and Linda to worry that history is repeating.