EastEnders: Nigel Bates listens to voicemail from his wife
EastEnders fans were left stunned by a surprise voice cameo from Julie Bates, portrayed by Karen Henthorn, which aired on the BBC soap for the first time in nearly three decades this Monday (January 6).
The unexpected moment came after Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) made an unannounced return on Christmas Eve, catching up with his old friend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and disclosing that he had split from his wife Julie.
But it turned out Nigel hadn't been completely honest; he was secretly receiving desperate texts from Julie begging him to come back.
In recent episodes, Nigel's behaviour has raised eyebrows as he dodged Julie's calls and seemed reluctant to get in touch with her, keeping his reasons to himself.
The mystery intensified on Monday (January 6), when a phone call interrupted Nigel's conversation with Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick). Following this, a distressed Nigel listened to a voicemail from Julie, once again voiced by Karen Henthorn.
"Nigel, it's Julie again. I don't know if you got my last message or..." she said.
"Listen, Nigel, I promise I'm not cross, whatever reason you walked out and disappeared, I just really need to know if you're alright mate", reports MyLondon.
Julie first graced Walford in September 1997 and is known as the mother of Josh Saunders, who was played by S Club 7 star Jon Lee.
Henthorn first appeared as Clare Bates' (played by Gemma Bissix) teacher, Nigel's step-daughter, eventually forming a close bond with him.
The pair's romance blossomed on screen, leading them to leave Walford for Scotland in April 1998 to begin a new life together. However, Nigel has recently returned to the square alone, sparking speculation about the current state of his marriage.
At 62 years old, Henthorn, originally from Oldham, Lancashire, surprised fans with her comeback this Monday.
With an extensive acting career, she is well-known for her role as Teresa Bryant in Coronation Street from 2007 to 2010, as well as her portrayal of Cath Bolton in The Booze Cruise.
Her talents have also been showcased in shows like Doctors, Heartbeat, and Shameless, and she even took to the stage in the National Theatre's War Horse in 2013.
EastEnders enthusiasts are now abuzz with the possibility that Julie might make a sensational return to Albert Square in time for the show's 40th anniversary. On social media platform X, one fan speculated: "Julie Bates. I wonder if she'll return to Albert Square before the 40th Anniversary week? #EastEnders."
"Think that was Julie's voice. She must be coming back too #EastEnders", another excited fan said, while someone else pondered over Nigel's secretive behaviour: "Why is Nigel lying?"
One eagle-eyed viewer made the connection, taking to social media to exclaim: "When Nigel's wife Julie appears on screen and a whole generation of viewers realise it's Teresa Bryant aka the long lost Morton mum off Corrie #EastEnders."
EastEnders airs Monday - Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer
