Karen Henthorn returns to EastEnders as Julie Bates

Karen Henthorn is reprising her role as Nigel Bates’ (Paul Bradley) wife Julie in EastEnders this summer.

It’s been 27 years since we last saw Julie in Albert Square when she left with Nigel, his adopted daughter Clare, and her son Josh to start a new life in Scotland.

Karen Henthorn said:

“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! 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.”

Nigel returned to Walford in December, initially telling friends that he had separated from Julie. But later on, he confessed that he had been diagnosed with dementia and had chosen to walk away from Julie because he didn’t want to be a burden to her.

Julie is set to discover the truth when she arrives in Albert Square.

Executive Producer Ben Wadey said:

“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.”

Julie made her debut in Walford back in September 1997, working as a teacher at Clare’s school. She ran into Nigel again when she popped into his video shop looking for French films and kept showing up while putting together a play about Walford’s history at the community centre. She grew close to Nigel and they started a relationship, leaving Walford together in April 1998.

EastEnders, BBC One, Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm. Also available on the iPlayer.