EastEnders spoilers follow for Wednesday’s (March 4) episode which is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
It was a moment over a year in the making (and in some ways two decades, since that was when we last saw her) as Clare Bates (Gemma Bissix) staged her long-awaited return to Albert Square.
The character was brought back after months of fan pleas following Nigel’s (Paul Bradley) dementia diagnosis, with viewers hopeful that the estranged relationship between Nigel and stepdaughter Clare would be mended before it was too late.
Following his hospitalisation and pneumonia diagnosis, Nigel asked after Clare, leaving Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) – who has been by his side since he first returned to the Square – wondering if getting in touch with the former schemer might actually be in his mate’s best interests.
Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn), however, was less fussed on the idea, which no doubt came as a surprise to audiences given that the teacher has often prioritised her ‘sweetheart’ Nigel’s needs throughout his dementia journey.
Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown), meanwhile, was on Phil’s side as she urged Julie to make contact with Clare. Realising that Lexi was right and that Nige deserved the chance to see his beloved Clare before it’s too late, she made contact.
Clare subsequently arrived in Walford, devastated by Nigel’s advanced dementia diagnosis. Blaming Julie for keeping her away, it was quite clear that something had transpired in the past that caused a family rift, which piqued Phil’s interest.
But with Nigel’s wellbeing the priority, they headed off to the hospital so that Clare could reunite with her stepdad. She was taken aback when she set her sights on Nigel, who didn’t recognise her as Clare, instead believing that Lexi was his daughter.
A subsequent row broke out as Clare berated Julie once again for keeping her away for so long, branding her ‘cruel’. Julie clapped back, which allowed audiences to discover that last time Clare was in contact with her stepdad, she pawned her mum Debbie’s ring, which left Nigel in a right state as he did everything in his power to retrieve it.
Lexi overheard the showdown and offered Clare support, with the two bonding over what it’s like to lose a parent at such a young age.
The conversation inspired Clare to do something special for Nigel before it’s too late, with Julie and Phil unnerved when they returned to the hospital room to find Nigel was gone.
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But just what does Clare have up her sleeve?
Clare’s sweet relationship with stepdad Nigel is fondly remembered by viewers who watched their original stint, which aired between 1993 and 1998, and thus they had been holding out hope for star Gemma to reprise her role following Nigel’s diagnosis.
In real life, star Gemma had only just reprised her role as the villainous Clare Devine on Hollyoaks as part of the show’s 30th anniversary last year and, despite having been written out in the wake of the atrocities caused during the special week, she will return to the Channel 4 soap later this year after her EastEnders stint.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
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