Karen Henthorn is scheduled to return to EastEnders this summer, reprising her role as Julie Bates, the soap has confirmed. Julie's last appearance on the Square was over two decades ago in 1997, and she's set for a dramatic comeback due to her husband Nigel Bates' (played by Paul Bradley) deteriorating dementia.
After Nigel resurfaced on the show late last year, he revealed he had split from Julie. He later confessed he did not want to burden his wife and chose to face his dementia solo.
Fans have watched Phil Mitchell step in to support his friend, but the situation has grown increasingly tragic as Phil struggles with Nigel's worsening health.
Kat Slater noticed Phil's struggle earlier in the week and urged him to contact Julie. Although hesitant at first, Phil seems swayed by Kat's advice, as Julie's return is now officially announced.
It will mark 27 years since Henthorn last stepped onto the set, which saw Julie and Nigel depart to Scotland for a fresh start, reports the Mirror.
Henthorn expressed joy at reuniting with co-star Paul Bradley, commenting, "It's very surreal to be back in Albert Square after 27 years and working with the delightful Paul Bradley again - it's scary how fast the time has gone!" She then added, "Julie has got some awful surprises ahead of her after the initial relief she feels to discover Nigel is still alive. It's been great to film with Paul and Steve (McFadden), who are such lovely actors, as Julie discovers Nigel's dementia diagnosis and why he chose to hide it from her."
Ben Wadey, Executive Producer of EastEnders, has expressed excitement over Karen Henthorn's return to the show as Julie.
Speaking about Julie’s comeback to Albert Square, Wadey revealed: "We are delighted to have Karen Henthorn returning to reprise her role as Julie, who arrives looking for Nigel.
"Julie hasn't seen Nigel in almost two years and is unaware of his diagnosis and reasons for leaving, so her arrival will pose questions for the pair of them."
Although it has been nearly 30 years since Julie was last seen wandering around the Square, her voice made an unexpected cameo recently when Nigel heard a voicemail from her. Audiences heard Julie's voice asserting: "Nigel, it's Julie again. I don't know if you got my last message or..
"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."
While no exact date for Julie's on-screen appearance has been set, with Karen already filming, viewers anticipate her arrival in the near future.
What will Nigel's response be when Julie steps back into his life?
