Phil makes a big decision about dying Nigel’s future in EastEnders

Admit it, EastEnders. You are trying to break our hearts on purpose.

The return of legacy character Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) to Albert Square has shown a side of the loveable rascal that fans were not expecting in a heartbreaking battle with young-onset dementia.

Watching him keep his diagnosis from his old friend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) was hard enough. Seeing the symptoms take their toll, such as confusion, memory loss, and tragically mistaking Honey (Emma Barton) for his wife Julie (Karen Henthorn), had ‘Enders fans reaching for their tissues up and down the country.

It’s been truly heartbreaking to see the deterioration of Walford’s Grandad in real time, from crashing his car due to confusion to accidentally giving Julie a back eye. Distressing incidents such as these have sadly forced Phil and Julie to face the reality that they can no longer care for him alone.

And if the thought of Nigel imagining a visit from his very own ghost of Christmas past, ‘Enders legend Pat Butcher (Pat St Clement) doesn’t get you bawling like a baby, then you might not actually be human.

While encountering long departed faces from the Square is a dewy-eyed drop of nostalgia for the fans, for Phil and Julie, it’s a sad confirmation of a decision they can ignore no longer – it’s time to consider care home options.

In upcoming episodes, Phil and Julie take Nigel to visit a care home where the senior nurse shows them how they care for people living with dementia. Phil and Julie are told they have to make a decision quickly to secure Nigel’s place. But when Nigel becomes distressed, they decide to take him home and continue their search elsewhere.

Julie starts looking for other care home options, but Phil argues that Nigel should have a say in his new home.

Later, Nigel and Phil share a warm moment, and Nigel talks about how much he’d love to go to the beach – no doubt adding to Phil’s guilt over putting his dearest friend into care. And in another sad milestone, Julie prepares to leave for Scotland to sell her and Nigel’s family home to fund his care.

Nigel’s been struggling dementia since his return in December 2024. Viewers have seen the beloved fan favourite get slowly and progressively worse in real time, just like in real life. There’s been no soapification, no speeding things up or intensifying them out of nowhere for dramatic effect. Just a long, hard, repeated goodbye to one of our most cherished soap characters as he begins to lose everything that made Nige, Nige.

The special episode that aired on December 23 was a glorious return to the 90s’, the halcyon days of EastEnders, in Nigel’s fevered mind; the rich and colourful history of the Square brought back to life in the form of a party in the Vic. But as Eastenders reflected on the past, we can’t help reflecting on the future, and where Nigel will be come Christmas, 2026.

Don’t. You’ll set us off.

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