EastEnders viewers are expressing concern for Nigel Bates (portrayed by Paul Bradley), who showed signs of forgetfulness in the December 31 episode on BBC One.
The soap veteran had a nostalgic reunion with his old pal, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), after a chance encounter in the Square on Christmas Day. The two retreated to Phil's home to rekindle their friendship and catch up on lost time.
During their conversation, Nigel confided: "Me and Julie split up a while back. Tried to sell the house but couldn't. She found someone else and wanted me out."
It prompted Phil to ask: "Couldn't Clare take you in?" Nigel then admitted: "Nah. We lost contact ages ago," reports the Manchester Evening News.
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He went further to tell Phil he was destitute, shifting from place to place in hostels. But a secretive text from his wife Julie quickly unravelled his story, indicating they were still together.
In his most recent visit to Walford, Nigel added to the perplexity when he mistakenly called Phil 'Grant', which is the name of Phils brother, and accidentally swapped his dinner for Phil's spicy curry, ending up in an awkward situation.
This behaviour has led fans to speculate that Nigel may be battling dementia, as evidenced by his confused state. A concerned fan speculated on Facebook, saying: "Not sure what long term storyline has been given to Nigel, but with him calling Phil Grant and him doing a lot of reminiscing, it suggests to me he might have dementia. It could explain why he ran out on Julie. Just a hunch."
One fan remarked: "I was thinking that when he called him Grant", as another agreed, "I thought that too after tonight's episode."
The suspicions keep growing, as another added: "Definitely thought this too". The topic has even spilled onto social media, where on X one alarmed viewer queried: "So do we think Nigel may have dementia? #EastEnders."
One user anxiously exclaimed: "#EastEnders I hope they're not going to do a dementia storyline for Nigel".
EastEnders airs Monday - Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer
