EastEnders Julie’s new Walford love interest ‘unveiled’ after Nigel’s death
EastEnders fans predict Julie Bates could find love again following husband Nigel Bates' tragic death in the BBC soap, as the dementia storyline comes to a heartbreaking end
EastEnders Julie’s new Walford love interest ‘unveiled’ after Nigel’s death (Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
EastEnders’ Julie Bates and a Walford legend could be heading for a surprising new romance following the heartbreaking death of her husband Nigel, fans believe.
As viewers will remember, Nigel (Paul Bradley) returned to the soap in 2024 and it emerged that he had received the devastating diagnosis of early-onset dementia.
Nigel’s wife Julie (Karen Henthorn) subsequently came back to Walford and has been looking after him ever since, alongside his closest friend Phil Mitchell (Steven McFadden).
In recent heartbreaking scenes of the BBC One soap, Nigel’s condition has been rapidly deteriorating as he battles with his worsening symptoms of the illness plus pneumonia.
Nigel died this week on the soap(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
And in Wednesday’s episode (April 29) Nigel tragically died in a care home surrounded by his loved ones, including Julie, Phil and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp), reports OK!.
In a deeply emotional scene, Phil and Nigel held hands and reflected fondly on happier times. Phil told Nigel: “I love you. I’m going to be OK. We’re all going to be OK. It’s OK for you to go, Nige. You can go,” with Nigel then dying.
And now, while it’s improbable a grief-stricken and shattered Julie will move on so quickly, fans suspect she could eventually find solace in Phil in a major romantic development.
Julie had been caring for Nigel(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
On an EastEnders Facebook fan page, one person said: “I think Julie and Phil will grow close after Nigel’s passing and get together.” Another added: “Not sure how I feel about that.” A third chimed in: “I can see it happening but just for a bit while they grieve.”
Meanwhile, discussing Nigel’s storyline, actor Paul stated: “I always think as an actor in EastEnders, when you’re playing an important storyline like Nigel’s dementia, you have an obligation and a responsibility to the audience to tell it as truthfully as you can.
Fans have predicted a Phil and Julie romance(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
“We’ve also seen Nigel’s storyline through many different character lenses, and EastEnders’ dedication, and all three actors’ dedication to the storyline across its entirety is something that people at home have responded to.”
Paul also commented: “I think it’s a hard watch, but many, many people have friends and relatives who are either going through this, or they know someone who is caring for someone who is going through this, and hopefully it shows that world how hard it can be, but also how joyous it can be at times.”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One.
