EastEnders’ Nigel Bates is set to become suspicious of his wife Julie in scenes airing next week.

Following Julie’s return to Albert Square, which has come as a great annoyance to Phil, Nigel reminds his old friend that having Julie around is good for him, before seeing his wife looking uneasy on a mysterious phone call.

“Alarm bells ring for Nigel next week,” explains our insider. “Julie has just come back into his life, and now he fears that she is hiding something from him.

“But thankfully, his wife’s surprise is a good one, and he’s reunited with his trusty car. The doctor has advised Nigel that he shouldn’t drive, but will his old motor bring back old memories?”

In recent weeks, Phil and Julie have each witnessed Nigel’s gradual decline as his dementia worsens. After arguing that Julie had disrupted the routine that he and Nigel had established over the past few months, Phil reached his boiling point in Tuesday’s (19 August) episode.

Following an assessment, in which the doctor confirmed that Nigel’s short-term memory had deteriorated significantly, Julie’s refusal to accept her husband’s condition led to an angry outburst from Phil.

In a heartbreaking moment for Julie, Phil let his anger get the better of him and revealed that Nigel had initially arrived in Walford intending to take his own life, leaving her to process the revelation.

It’s no secret that Phil has struggled to get along with Julie ever since she returned from Scotland with her belongings and a trio of pet chickens in tow.

“Julie has upended the dynamic in the house, and Phil doesn’t think big changes will do his poorly best mate any good,” our source revealed last week.

Phil has also voiced his concerns to Nigel, and spoke honestly with his friend during Tuesday’s episode, noting that he can’t stand Julie, nor her attitude toward Nigel’s diagnosis, arguing that Julie can’t continue to pretend that the disease isn’t terminal.