Note: This article contains discussion of topics including suicide and dementia.
EastEnders spoilers follow.
Phil Mitchell made a devastating discovery regarding Nigel Bates on EastEnders as he reached out to his friend.
Nigel returned to Walford in December after a 26 year absence, though it wasn't all good news as it was eventually revealed that the character had been diagnosed with dementia.
Nigel eventually told Phil of his diagnosis, leading to Phil becoming overprotective as he worried for his friend. Monday's (21 April) episode began with Nigel looking forward to the Easter celebrations, with the character wanting to get involved with the festivities.
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After being asked to participate in an egg hunt by Yolande, Nigel expressed excitement at the prospect of dressing up as a bunny, though Phil put his foot down and said it wouldn't be wise given his condition.
Declaring it his "favourite time" of the year, Nigel implored Phil to embrace the spirit of Easter, though Phil was adamant that they needed to stay at home. Nigel, however, was full of enthusiasm, and headed out to "prove" Phil wrong.
As Phil arrived in the Square, his stance softened as he saw Nigel "embracing" his role as the Easter bunny by entertaining the youth, with Denise remarking that a little bit of joy wouldn't go amiss in the community.
All went well until Nigel mistook Hope for Clare, with the character hurling wild accusations at Harvey as his symptoms resurfaced. Jean, Harvey and Ian later quizzed Phil on Nigel's behaviour, with Phil eventually informing them of his condition.
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In a candid conversation with Yolande, Nigel remarked that he had "made peace" with his existence in a "black void", though Yolande reasoned that they sounded like the words of a man who was "giving up".
After Nigel spent a couple of hours alone, Phil dropped by and made a devastating discovery as he realised that Nigel was considering the possibility of taking his own life if his memory continued to deteriorate.
Finding a recording that Nigel had made for himself, Phil listened as Nigel set himself some quiz questions, before saying: "If you can't answer, if you fail the test, then you've got to take action whilst you still can."
Will Phil tell Nigel he has heard the recording?
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
We encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Information about how to access support is available via the NHS, and organisations who can offer help include Samaritans on 116 123 or Mind on 0300 123 3393.
Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
More information about dementia is available via organisations including the NHS and Dementia UK. Resources for readers in the US are available via the National Institutes of Health.
