Clare Bates returns to Walford as clare bates for Nigel's dementia storyline
Gemma Bissix will reprise the role of clare bates this spring, returning to EastEnders for a short stint tied to Nigel Bates’ dementia storyline. The 42-year-old actress comes back to Walford after almost 18 years away when news of her estranged stepfather’s worsening dementia reaches her.
Clare Bates' return to Walford
Bissix is set to reappear as Clare Bates for a brief but emotional reunion with Nigel. Though Clare and Nigel have been estranged for many years, she returns when she hears about Nigel’s deteriorating condition and is shocked on arrival by his fragility and the reality of his prognosis.
Why she returns this spring
The storyline sees Clare prompted to come back after news of her stepdad’s dementia reaches her. Her arrival raises emotions and forces old wounds to be addressed, including tensions with Nigel’s wife Julie Bates. It soon becomes clear that Clare’s presence is essential as Nigel’s loved ones collectively decide what is best for the next stage of his dementia care.
Nigel's diagnosis and care decisions
Recent episodes established a sharp reversal in Nigel’s circumstances: his carers — his wife Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) — decide to place him in a residential home after he was found underwater and unconscious in a bath. The storyline describes Nigel as grappling with young-onset dementia; family and friends must weigh his additional care needs and future arrangements.
Reaction from cast and crew
Gemma Bissix said it was a pleasure to be asked back and that she had hoped for the call, believing fans wanted the relationship revisited. She described Nigel and Clare as a "formidable pairing in the ’90s with a very unique stepfather/stepdaughter relationship, " and said reconnecting with Paul and Karen after many years felt like a full-circle moment because she grew up on the set and learnt her craft there. She added that, while the reunion will be emotional, she hopes viewers will be pleased to see Clare and Nigel on screen together again.
Executive producer Ben Wadey said the production always wanted to bring Clare Bates back as Nigel’s dementia progresses. He noted the stepfather-and-daughter duo share a complicated history, have been estranged for many years, and that revisiting their relationship was essential as the family consider Nigel’s additional care needs.
Production notes and partnerships
The show has been working with Dementia UK and experts in the field to ensure the storyline is portrayed sensitively and accurately. Bissix’s return is described as essential to helping Nigel’s loved ones decide what is best for him in the next stage of his dementia care.
Background details from recent coverage note that Bissix first joined the series as Clare in 1993, briefly returned in 2008 after nearly a decade away from the show, and that her character departed Walford later that same year. Some reports describe this upcoming return as coming almost two decades on from that departure; other phrasing says she returns after almost 18 years away. Bissix is identified as 42 years old in coverage, and Clare was first introduced as the daughter of Debbie Bates (Nicola Duffett). Nigel is played by Paul Bradley.
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Clare’s return will reunite her with Paul Bradley’s Nigel and Karen Henthorn’s Julie, and the storyline centres on family decisions about residential care and the emotional consequences of Nigel’s young-onset dementia.
clare bates’ arrival is framed as both a reunion and a catalyst for the family to determine Nigel’s care as his condition progresses.
Closing: Gemma Bissix’s brief return as Clare Bates is scheduled for this spring; the episodes will focus on Nigel’s worsening dementia, the family’s difficult decisions about care, and the emotional reckoning of an estranged stepfather and daughter.
