EastEnders airs another tear-jerking episode for Clare Bates on Thursday (5 March) as she struggles to cope with seeing her stepfather Nigel move into a care home. Ahead of the powerful scenes, we’ve got the exclusive lowdown from soap favourite Gemma Bissix, who has reprised her role as Clare this week.

The next episode is a special single-storyline edition, focusing on Clare, Julie and Phil as they navigate this major change for Nigel’s life. Julie is furious when she discovers that Clare has teamed up with Lexi Pearce to discharge Nigel from hospital, bringing him back to Albert Square for a last hurrah at the Queen Vic.

Later, reality hits for everyone as Clare and Phil take Nigel to the care home and help him settle in – marking the start of a new chapter for Nigel’s dementia storyline.

Gemma opens up over these emotional scenes in a big new interview with Inside Soap‘s Soap Scoop podcast, which is available to watch right now.

“Nigel doesn’t want to be there,” Gemma confirms, reflecting on the character’s big move. “He’s saying: ‘I don’t want to be in this room, just take me home’. But the care home places are quite few and far between, so when you get offered one, there’s no going back.

“He does get quite violent towards Clare – by accident. He just doesn’t want people in his space. That is really hard for Clare. In the end, she just bottles it and she can’t deal with it. That’s why she leaves – she just goes: ‘I’ll be in touch, I can’t cope with it anymore’.”

“That’s when you see the breakdown from Phil,” Gemma continues. “He can’t do it anymore and you see it from us all – it’s almost like giving up. Nigel isn’t Nigel anymore.

“You feel like you’re letting him down but you just can’t see him like that. It’s not the Nigel that any of us remember – or want to remember.”

Overwhelmed by everything she’s seen since coming back to Walford, Clare ultimately decides to make her escape rather than sticking around. She’s particularly troubled that Nigel no longer remembers her – but is it really the last we’ve seen of her?

“For her, she really does believe it’s too late and I don’t know if she wants to deal with that,” Gemma shares. “But there are discussions and I’m hoping that Clare will be back for some more.

“As Nigel gets towards the end, I don’t think she’d miss the funeral, would she? There are talks about this kind of stuff.

“But I think at the moment, Clare needs to go back to her family and regroup. I think really, if there’s going to be any reconciliation, it’s going to be between her and Julie – because with Nigel it’s probably too late.”

Meanwhile, what about the rumours that Gemma’s other famous Clare could be heading back to Hollyoaks? Tabloid reports recently revealed that cruel Clare Devine will be back in the village soon, just a few months after bowing out amid the show’s 30^th anniversary storylines.

“There’s bits and pieces,” Gemma teases. “I’ve always said this – even in the interview at the Inside Soap Awards – that I don’t think it’s the last you’ll ever see of Clare Devine and she’ll just dip in and out, as and when they need people killed off! Or they need some carnage!”