Gemma Bissix returns to EastEnders as Clare Bates for Nigel Bates' dementia story
Gemma Bissix is set to reprise the role of clare bates in a short spring return to EastEnders, re-entering Walford as Nigel Bates' dementia storyline gathers momentum. Her arrival matters now because it forces a fractured family to confront Nigel's prognosis and make concrete decisions about his care.
Clare Bates returns to Walford this spring
The character Clare Bates will return to the soap for a brief stint this spring, marking a homecoming after almost 18 years away from Walford. The return has been described as emotional and is timed to intersect directly with Nigel Bates’ deteriorating condition, with Clare arriving once news of his worsening dementia reaches her.
Nigel Bates' dementia prompts decisive care decisions
Nigel’s recent health crisis has already moved the household into action: he was found underwater and unconscious in a bath and was subsequently admitted to a care home. That event—Phil Mitchell leaving Nigel unattended in the bath—was the immediate catalyst for loved ones, including Nigel’s wife Julie, to consider residential care. Clare’s arrival is framed as essential to the next stage, as family and friends collectively weigh what is best for Nigel’s dementia care going forward.
Casting and reunion: Gemma Bissix, Paul Bradley and Karen Henthorn
Gemma Bissix, who is 42 years old, last appeared on the programme in 2008 and left following the breakdown of her character’s relationship with Bradley Branning. The return reunites her on set with Paul Bradley and Karen Henthorn, who play Nigel and Julie respectively. Both the actress and the production team have spoken about reconnecting after many years and revisiting a relationship that was notable in the 1990s for its unique stepfather–stepdaughter dynamic.
Production context and external guidance from Dementia UK
Producers have said the decision to bring Clare back was deliberate as Nigel’s dementia progresses and the family’s questions about additional care needs increase. The show has been working with Dementia UK and field experts to shape the storyline and ensure the portrayal is sensitively and accurately handled.
Broader return trend on Albert Square and narrative ties
The Clare Bates return sits alongside a wider series of cast comebacks this year orchestrated by Executive Producer Ben Wadey. Other returns have included Mark Fowler Jnr, with Stephen Aaron‑Sipple stepping into a role previously played by Ned Porteous; the comebacks of Tracy-Ann Oberman (Chrissie Watts) and Joel Beckett (Jake Moon) in a storyline about Zoe Slater’s release from prison over the murder of Anthony Truman, which was committed by their daughter Jasmine; and the announcement that Ross Kemp is returning as Grant Mitchell, who was last seen during the programme’s 40th anniversary celebration last year.
Family history, custody and stakes for Clare Bates
Clare’s storyline carries deeper personal history: she is the daughter of Debbie Bates and became Nigel’s stepdaughter when Debbie married him. Nigel received full custody of Clare after Debbie died in a car crash in the summer of 1995. Those past tragedies and the long estrangement between Nigel and Clare frame the emotional stakes of her return and the difficult conversations the family must now have about his future.
What makes this notable is the way a single acute incident—the bath incident that led to Nigel’s care home admission—has reopened long-standing wounds and forced a practical reckoning about dementia care that extends beyond one household. The series’ production choices, the involvement of Dementia UK, and the reconvening of original cast members combine to shape a storyline that is both personal and procedural.
As Clare steps back into Walford, she becomes a hinge for both emotional reconciliation and the administrative decisions that will determine Nigel’s next stage of care. The return is intended as a short but pivotal intervention in a storyline that blends character history with current care realities, and viewers will see how old fractures inform fresh decisions.
