EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell and Julie Bates have a life-changing choice to make next week, as they come together to decide on Nigel’s care with his dementia symptoms intensify further. But their search for a care home takes an upsetting turn, and Julie then goes to heartbreaking lengths to secure her husband’s future…
The distressing events of Christmas, where Nigel hallucinated ghosts of Walford past, encouraged Phil and Julie to put their differences aside and join forces.
They take Nigel to a prospective care home, where a senior nurse gives them an eye-opening insight into how they look after people who are living with dementia.
Phil and Julie panic when they are told that they must make a decision quickly if they want to secure Nigel’s place in this residence. The pair are forced to think on their feet about what to do next, but everything suddenly changes when Nigel gets upset…
BBC
BBC
Related: Best streaming services
“While Phil and Julie are considering their options, Nigel becomes overwhelmed by the whole situation,” explains our source.
“The pair notice his distress and realise that they need to put Nigel first, so they scrap their plans and take him back to the Square, vowing to continue their search for a care home later.”
Back at home, Julie immediately begins looking for other care home options for her beloved husband – but Phil is more hesitant and wants to do right by Nigel.
BBC
BBC
Related: 11 huge EastEnders questions after life-threatening flashforward episode
Amid the chaos, Nigel and Phil later find time to have a quiet chat, and it’s here that Nigel makes it clear what he really wants from the final months of his life…
“Nigel previously told Phil that he wants to stay in control as much as possible as his illness takes over,” our insider reminds us.
“Phil is desperate to honour this wish, so makes sure to ask Nigel where he would be most happy. But what Nigel says next is surprising – he’d love to go to the beach! Could Nigel’s future take place somewhere warm and sunny?”
BBC
Related: EastEnders confirms life-changing consequences as Ravi faces hallucination horror
Meanwhile, Julie’s search for care homes continues, and it becomes clear that wherever Nigel goes to live is going to be incredibly expensive. There isn’t a lot of cash saved up for this moment, so Julie realises that she will have to sacrifice her greatest asset.
Accepting that her life in Scotland is now over, Julie prepares to sell her and Nigel’s family home in order to fund her partner’s future care. As Julie gets ready to head north and say goodbye to their former home, will a decision be made about the remainder of Nigel’s life?
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
For exclusive soap star interviews, gossip, spoilers and theories every week, don’t miss the Soap Scoop podcast from Inside Soap magazine. This week’s episode looks back at the biggest soap stories from 2025.