EastEnders spoilers follow for Wednesday’s episode (23 April), which is available to watch now on streaming service BBC iPlayer and hasn’t yet aired on TV.
Note: This article contains discussion of suicide.
EastEnders has aired a powerful episode surrounding Nigel Bates and Phil Mitchell – confirming what the future holds for the two characters.
With Phil having discovered Nigel’s plan to take his own life when his dementia worsens, Nigel decided to leave Walford. But as Phil found a goodbye letter from his mate, an incident with a group of teens knocked Nigel to the ground.
In today’s special episode, Phil asked Linda and Yolande to help him find Nigel, though he faced criticism from Jean about taking better care of his friend.
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Phil and Linda searched in the garage, and while Nigel was nowhere to be found, the location triggered bad memories of Phil’s suicide attempt earlier this year.
Thankfully, Linda then got a call from the hospital, confirming that Nigel was safe and well. At the hospital, Phil tried to get Nigel sectioned, in an attempt to keep him safe, but Linda made him see sense.
Nigel explained that he had made plans to spend his last days in a park home in Kent, but he made amends with Phil and the pair went home together.
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Phil encouraged Nigel to delete the video of the memory test from his past self. But when Nigel found himself unable to answer one of the questions, he panicked and decided to leave Walford after all.
Locking him in the house, Phil urged him to stay, but Nigel lashed out and explained that he wanted to be able to make his own decisions before it’s too late.
Phil assured Nigel that he wasn’t a burden and that he would help him to feel in control until his condition worsened and they could find a care home for him.
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But later, Yolande gave Phil some advice and, after getting some guidance from Sonia, Phil returned home and offered to be Nigel’s full-time carer.
"This ain’t about me saving you," he said during an emotional chat. "This is about saving both of us. You commit to staying here, I will commit to looking after you, till the end."
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.
