EastEnders has aired a very special episode about Nigel Bates’ dementia, concluding with a devastating scene between him and best friend

Phil Mitchell. This week, Nigel got overwhelmed at his film screening, and even more so when he overheard Phil and Julie talking about care homes.

 

 

Nigel walked off and got confused, and when he wandered into The Vic, his altered memories took him back to the 1990s – and he soon bumped into Pat Evans.

In today’s episode, the pair were joined by Barry, who sang a song on the karaoke machine, with Nigel’s confusion bringing these two characters back to life.

 

 

Both Pat and Barry believed that Nigel was still married to his late wife Debbie, and Nigel explained that he had bought a present for her and had given it to Phil to look after.

Nigel then spotted Phil and Grant in the pub – but as their younger selves, with Daniel Delaney and Teddy Jay reprising their roles as the Mitchell brothers for the third time.

Young Phil obviously didn’t know anything about Nigel’s present which made him more distressed. In an emotional scene, Nigel then came face to face with Debbie and slow danced with his beloved first wife.

But Debbie then morphed into Julie, who alongside Phil, had found him in the pub. Nigel mistook her for Debbie then turned violent and angry, kicking Julie and Phil out and locking himself in The Vic.

Outside, Julie told Phil about the present, and Phil gave it to her – as Nigel did in fact leave it with him. Back in the community centre, Phil asked Kat and Alfie to unlock the barrel store in the pub, but he asked everyone to leave when they were laughing at a funny part of the film.

In the pub, Nigel continued to have visions of Pat, Barry and Debbie, but was brought back to the present by Julie. He continued to mistake her for Debbie, but Julie discovered that he’d written her own name on the gift tag of an engraved necklace to remember him by.

Phil came to a sad realisation while watching the film alone, and back at home, he apologised to Julie and admitted that it is in fact time to start looking at care options for Nigel.