Nigel Bates’ (Paul Bradley) young-onset dementia worsens in EastEnders next week – much to Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) frustration.
As viewers of the BBC One soap have seen, Phil decided to take on the responsibility of being Nige’s carer after he uncovered his plans to commit suicide.
Since then, Nigel has found it difficult to adjust to his mate’s newfound caring demeanour, and the set-up has been anything but harmonious.
This has only been worsened by the fact he seems to be struggling more and more with his memory – confusing two Walford youngsters for his stepdaughter Clare and trying to go to work at his old video shop, which is now a chemist.
In upcoming scenes, Nige is furious that his birthday has been left unmarked.
This is despite Phil’s initial plans to host a party, which were put on the back burner after Nigel asserted that he was in no mood to celebrate and didn’t want a fuss.
Worried for his friend’s wellbeing, he turns to Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter), Billy and Honey Mitchell (Perry Fenwick and Emma Barton) for advice. They suggest reaching out to Nigel, and asking him for the true reason why he’s so upset.
Later, now seemingly on good terms, Phil suggests they hold a belated celebration and go to the cinema.
However, elsewhere in Albert Square, tensions are rising with the other Mitchell clan. Harry (Elijah Holloway) has told his dad Teddy (Roland Manookian) a jaw-dropping familial revelation.
Barney (Lewis Bridgeman) isn’t his son, and Zack Hudson (James Farrar) is.
Matriarch Nicola (Laura Doddington) tries to deny that she ever slept with Zack, but is forced to come clean when her husband won’t back down on the truth.
The situation escalates, and tensions rise even further when Harry reveals that Zack is intending to take Barney and flee the area. In a desperate attempt to stop him, Harry takes drastic action.
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He bundles Zack into the boot of a car and speeds off, though Teddy quickly becomes worried about what his son could be capable of.
Chasing after him, he asks Honey, Billy and Nigel to divert their trip to the cinema and follow Harry’s car instead.
However, just as everything seems to be sorted, a car veers off the road and plunges into a lake!
The survivors make their way out of the water, while trying to rescue those that are still trapped inside of the vehicle.
Will Nigel and the other passengers be ok? Is it their car that takes an icy dip?
