EastEnders spoilers follow for Tuesday’s double episode (15 April), which is available to watch now on streaming service BBC iPlayer and hasn’t yet aired on TV.
EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell has been left devastated by two characters leaving Walford, in today’s emotional double bill.
With Phil determined to care for Nigel alone, Jay took matters into his own hands and called Nigel’s wife Julie, after discovering that she was searching for her missing husband.
Julie arrived on the Square in today’s first episode, with Jay having told her about Nigel’s dementia. She spotted Nigel and Phil outside and approached them, but heartbreakingly he didn’t recognise his wife.
Back at the house, Julie desperately tried to jog his memory then clashed with Phil, raging at him for not calling her and taking away her time with Nigel.
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Phil later made amends and showed Julie a video that Nigel had filmed for her months previously. She broke down in tears as past Nigel said that he wanted her to have a happy life and not to be burdened by his condition.
Julie vowed to support Nigel unconditionally – but later told Phil that she would be taking him home to Scotland tomorrow.
The next day, in the second episode, Phil attempted to halt Julie’s plans, aware that Nigel had previously expressed a desire to stay with him permanently.
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Phil and Julie each tried to convince Nigel that he would be better off with them. Julie spoke to Jay, wondering whether Nigel was better off with Phil, and Jay told her about Phil’s recent mental health crisis.
When Phil and Julie argued over the situation once again, distressed Nigel ran off but forgot where he was. Julie calmed him down, which led Nigel to decide that he would go to Scotland after all.
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Phil conceded defeat, and Julie thanked him for being such a good friend to Nigel. As the pair prepared to leave, Linda checked on Phil, who was devastated about breaking his promise to Nigel and frightened of being left alone in the house.
Linda urged Phil to say goodbye to Nigel, but her advice didn’t work, as he refused to see his friend before he and Julie left Walford.
Will Phil regret not getting closure?
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
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.
