Joshua Halm
Published March 3, 2026 9:00pm
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Phil is struggling as Nigel deteriorates (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
EastEnders legend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) has faced all manner of battles throughout his reign as Walford’s resident bruiser, but he’s currently up against an unbeatable enemy: his best friend’s dementia.
The Phil of today is completely unlike the Phil of the past decade. As his mental health declined, a vulnerable, broken side of the seemingly indestructible crime boss emerged and, as he continued to suffer in silence, things came to a head with a (thankfully) interrupted suicide attempt.
The re-emergence of his old best friend, Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), saw Phil pledge to become his full time carer as the symptoms of his early-onset dementia began to intensify, with him showing a caring and humanity too often missing from his formerly gangland-focussed plotlines.
Phil’s journey with Nigel has been fraught with emotion. When Nigel’s wife, Julie (Karen Henthorn), arrived in Walford, the two initially clashed regarding his care.
Phil and Julie have given their all to care for Nigel (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
As they both navigated the impossible situation, they frequently found themselves at odds, though it’s incredibly evident that it all stems from their shared love of Nigel.
When it became painfully apparent that Nigel needed professional, round-the-clock care, Julie found acceptance, while Phil planned to take Nigel to Portugal.
When Julie found out, she took Nigel to live at Peacock Palace, wounded by Phil’s scheming, but an accident in the bathtub that nearly resulted in Nigel drowning proved to be the period at the end of the sentence for everybody: Nigel needed to go into full time care.
Phil is struggling to visit Nigel in the care home (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
With the return of his daughter, Clare (Gemma Bissix), Nigel finally moves in to his new home, though Phil is finding it incredibly hard to accept.
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Next week sees two of the Mitchell clan struggle to deal with Nigel’s new normal. Phil continues to avoid visiting him in the care home and instead, offers to accompany his sister, Sam (Kim Medcalf) to her radiotherapy appointment.
They bump into Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown), who’s also struggling with missing Nigel, and while Julie, Lexi and Callum Highway (Tony Clay) head off to visit him, Phil remains steadfast in his decision not to.
Lexi skives school as she struggles with her sadness over Nigel (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Later in the week, Lexi pulls a sicky to spend the day with Phil and Sam. While Callum is concerned that a doctor’s note will be needed to explain her school absence, it’s incredibly apparent that Lexi is deeply struggling with Nigel no longer being on the Square.
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With both Phil and Lexi fighting internal battles with their sadness over Nigel, will either of the open up and seek help?
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