Another EastEnders star makes permanent return after leaving soap 27 years ago
EastEnders legend Karen Henthorn has confirmed she is returning permanently to Albert Square, 27 years after her character was written out. The actress, who plays Julie Bates, follows Jake Wood as he makes a comeback on the show with his character Max Branning.
Julie soft-launched her return in January, when her character was heard speaking on a voice note to her husband Nigel. Unbeknownst to Julie, Nigel, played by Paul Bradley, had been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. But instead of facing up to the reality of what had happened, he walked out on her 27 years after the family moved to Scotland to start a new life.
Having told his long-standing pal Phil Mitchell that they had divorced, he moved back to Walford. But now his condition has started to deteriorate, Julie is set to go up against Phil as they decide on the best care option.
Karen said of what's coming up for her character, almost three decades after she was last seen: "Even with the Phil situation, Julie knows that as long as she's with Nigel – and he knows how much she loves him – that's what matters. They are facing a hard road ahead, but they've got each other now.
"Julie loves Nigel more than anyone else, and she'll go above and beyond to help him. Phil can be as difficult as he wants to Julie, she's not going anywhere."
But things go south when Julie decides she wants to take Nigel back home to Scotland, leaving Phil furious. Karen explained that Julie is angry with the Mitchell brother, who has been dealing with health concerns of his own, as she wasn't told about her husband's diagnosis, and she believes Phil is trying to cut her out.
Karen was first introduced to EastEnders fans in 1997, when she was the the adoptive stepmother of Clare Bates. Along with her son Josh Saunders, Karen and Nigel took off up north with their two children to start afresh.
Back in January, Julie's voice made a shock cameo in the soap, when she was heard by viewers for the first time since the 90s. It came after it was revealed Nigel was lying to Phil - and he hadn't split up with Julie after all.
He played a voice message, in which Julie could be heard saying: "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."
Karen previously spoke of her delight at being reunited with her on-screen hubby, played by Paul Bradley. She 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," she continued. "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.'
Speaking about Julie's return to the 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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
EastEnders star details nightmare turbulence on flight after travel hell while battling with chronic illness symptoms
EASTENDERS star Melissa Suffield has revealed her nightmare journey home from a family holiday while battling her chronic illness. The actress - who used to play Lucy Beale in the BBC soap - was diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) after experiencing "horrible nausea" in 2023. 2 2 And it has had a huge impact in her life - which makes her family holidays and quality time all the more precious. But today she has revealed that she had the journey from hell home - undoing the good the holiday did. Taking to Instagram, Melissa wrote: 'I've been a bit quiet because life has been a LOT. The trip away was so restorative but honestly the act of getting home undid it 'The ship didn't make it into the final port of my trip due to very bad weather, but obviously my flight was booked from there! 'So booked a flight home from the next available port very last minute, which was a midnight flight, which was delayed by 2 hours because of weather again, and then the ENTIRE 3 hour flight was mad turbulence and lightning out the window I s*** you not. 'I'm not a nervous flyer but I was on that flight. 'Honestly, not a fun experience, followed by only 4 hours of sleep and then a 3 hour train journey home with River and all my luggage. 'On the list of things I simply do not need in my life, this experience was a high ranking one.' Melissa added: 'Not aided by the fact that towards the end of the trip, my symptoms started getting worse. 'I think the combination of not eating anything other than steak and potatoes, as well as the stress of making a new very last minute plan and the childcare and everything that went along with that is probably what did it. Former EastEnders star has had '40 doctors appointments' and spent 'over five figures' amid gruelling health condition 'Also my period always makes everything worse- I've actually just had a test arrive that looks at your DNA and hormones to see if I can pin point anything I'm missing. 'But anyway, I am home now safe and sound, I have done all the washing, I've got full control over my diet again, and I've got my boy back. But I am feeling rough in a way that I haven't in a while, so l'm focusing all my energy on resting. What is SIBO? SIBO is also known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Melissa experiences nausea, reflux, constipation, and other symptoms like her hair falling out and suffering from dry skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition occurs "when there is an abnormal increase in the overall bacterial population in the small intestine — particularly types of bacteria not commonly found in that part of the digestive tract." Symptoms are listed as a loss of appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, an uncomfortable feeling of fullness after eating, diarrhea, unintentional weight loss, and malnutrition. 'I've got a really busy week next week too, so I've really got to try and get back on top of things quickly tbh. But when your nervous system is frazzled, that time limit way of thinking is completely counter productive.'
Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
Coronation Street hostage horror as lives are on the line
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video There's terror for the residents of Coronation Street in upcoming episodes when killer Mick Michaelis (Joe Layton) breaks out of prison – and causes havoc at the school and factory. Mick, who is in prison following his murder of PC Craig Tinker (Colson Smith), is upset by news from his family. With Lou (Farrel Hegarty) in serious trouble, there's a risk that the family will fall apart. Mick knows he's got to do something and desperately enlists the help of his son, Brody (Ryan Mulvey). He wants Brody to round up his sisters and the plan is that Mick will escape from prison and join them and the whole family will go on the run. Brody, who's recently found out that Mick isn't his biological father, is still keen to impress the man who raised him and he agrees to the plan. Brody goes off to pick up the girls, who are staying with Sally (Sally Dynevor) and Tim (Joe Duttine), only to find that Joanie (Savanna Pennington) has gone to Weatherfield High for a taster day. She's not having a great time as some of the other kids are having a go at her because of her infamous dad. She gets upset and the school staff call Sally and get her to come and pick her up. Meanwhile Lou is being questioned by the police after Mick has broken out of prison. She denies all knowledge. Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) is at the school for an interview, and he and Mrs Crawshaw (Carla Mendonça) are shocked when they're suddenly confronted by Mick, demanding to see his daughter. Mrs Crawshaw tells him that Joanie isn't there, and was picked up by Sally earlier. Frustrated and angry, Mick locks the pair in the office. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! Meanwhile, the kids are terrified by the presence of Mick, whose behaviour seems out of control. They try to hide as best they can. Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) is shocked later to hear from Hope Stape (Isabella Flanagan) that his son, Sam (Jude Riordan), was left on his own in a corridor after his cousin Lily Platt (Brooke Malonie) refused to let him hide in the classroom where she was taking refuge. There's short-lived relief as Mick heads off towards Coronation Street, with Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) in hot pursuit. More Trending But with Mick ever more desperate to find his children and with an unaware Sally showing Joanie around the factory, the violence is far from over – and lives will be left in the balance. Tim notices him marching into the building, and as a menacing heartbeat sound effect rings out, Mick watches Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien) from afar. She's terrified when he grabs her phone and smashes it on the floor, before grabbing her by the neck. Tim begs him to stop, just as Sally and Joanie reenter the factory. View More » Desperate to keep them concealed, she rushes the youngster up a staircase out of sight. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Coronation Street's Sally and Tim file a report against a neighbour – and a showdown follows MORE: Coronation Street legends report neighbour to social services MORE: All Coronation Street spoilers for next week as ITV airs sad scenes
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Popular Strictly pro set to have their inspiring life story told on BBC in ‘pinch me' moment
Plus scroll down to read about a new drama about the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings 'A BEACON OF LIGHT' Popular Strictly pro set to have their inspiring life story told on BBC in 'pinch me' moment Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HE rose from humble origins in South Africa and endured years of homophobic bullying in school before becoming a Strictly Come Dancing favourite. Now Johannes Radebe will likely have his life story air on the BBC. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Johannes Radebe rose from humble origins in South Africa Credit: BBC 5 He endured years of homophobic bullying in school before becoming a Strictly Come Dancing favourite Credit: Getty 5 Johannes reached the final with chef John Whaite in 2021 Credit: Getty 5 John and Johannes lost out to ex-EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice Credit: Splash The South African pro was persuaded to stay on the show this year despite a busy schedule that saw him making his biopic and touring the nation with musical Kinky Boots. I exclusively revealed two years ago how Johannes' life story, based on his autobiography, Jojo: Finally Home, was under way. This week, he said: 'It's a 'pinch me' moment. "The beginning stages are happening now and BBC Films have just jumped on board too. 'It simply means that my people, who helped me get where I am, are worthy and they can dream because I know where they come from. "There are a lack of role models and they feel like they can't achieve anything but I hope this is like a beacon of light for them to say all of you contributed to me and my success is your success.' Johannes joined Strictly in 2018. In 2021 he reached the final with chef John Whaite, where they lost out to ex-EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice. Strictly's Johannes Radebe heartbroken as family are BANNED from entering country and miss his big opening night of show NEW TAKE ON PUB BOMBING THE team behind BBC's Line Of Duty are planning a drama about the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings. Simon Heath, who heads up World Productions, believes it's time viewers learnt more about the 21 victims of the IRA attack. 5 Six men from Northern Ireland served 16 years in prison after being wrongly convicted for the bombing in 1975. They became known as the Birmingham Six. The new drama will focus on the lives of the victims and their loved ones who have campaigned for justice. Brummie Simon said: 'Everyone knows about the Birmingham Six, but the families of the 21 victims still don't know who planted the bombs. 'They don't get the publicity they deserve. But there's a script and we're going to try. 'I just want to support the city. 'I don't think it has had a fair crack of the whip.' LARRY LAMB says his turn as Mick Shipman in Gavin & Stacey: The Finale will likely be his last on the box. The actor said he would consider taking on small stage parts 'to keep my face in' but insisted that he's happy to let others perform the 'bigger roles' and head into retirement. NATURE'S CALLING DOUGIE SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters ended up being far more than just another TV job for Dougie Poynter. The ITV series, which starts tonight at 9pm, follows celebs as they take to treacherous waters off Bimini in the Bahamas. Facing the beasts has changed the McFly and I'm A Celeb winner forever. He said: 'I came back and it hit me so hard that I'm not still out there doing it. I think I want to do nature stuff for the rest of my life, in any sort of capacity. 'Any trip I do or TV show, I hope it has a nature element in it, because that's what I'm happy doing. 'I feel connected to what we actually are, just creatures of Earth, without sounding cheesy. 'I'm sharing the planet with all these other things that are way more fascinating than myself.' CILLIAN'S DREAM CILLIAN MURPHY swapped the brutality of Peaky Blinders for a children's animation, so his kids have the chance to enjoy his work. The actor, best known as Tommy Shelby in the gritty saga, lends his voice to play Dad in Kensuke's Kingdom. Cillian said: 'I had read Kensuke's Kingdom to my boys when they were little and they were enthralled by it. 'I wanted to be involved in the film version so they could see it, and also because I don't really make that many films for kids.' An adaptation of Michael Morpugo's book, follows a young boy who is shipwrecked on a remote island after falling overboard during a family sailing trip. He discovers he's not alone when he encounters Kensuke, a former Japanese soldier who has lived there since World War Two. It lands on the BBC next month. LONG-RUNNING Aussie soap Neighbours filmed its last ever scenes on Friday after being scrapped for a second time. Amazon Freevee picked up the teatime favourite from Channel 5 but weren't happy with its ratings. The closing chapter will air in December.
