Goodbye, Nigel’s Sweetheart

This one hurt. On one hand I’d have done absolutely everything to keep the formidable Karen Henthorn in Albert Square. On the other… well, I hate to admit it, but Julie setting off for the trip of a lifetime felt like the perfect bookend to the story which brought her back to us.

It’s probably safe to say that prior to Julie returning to Albert Square last year, many viewers wouldn’t have had much to say about the woman who found love with Nigel Bates back in the 90s. Now? In less than a year she’s become a firm favourite whose presence will be sorely missed. The Kimfluencer wishes had gone viral on TikTok as much as ar Julie!

It cannot be overstated just how damn good Karen is. The reading of Nigel’s letter in today’s episode of EastEnders was very special. We’ve seen it across Karen’s performances during her return. It takes a special kind of actor to deliver those understated moments which can break the hearts of viewers.

I don’t know if Karen would have wanted to stay longer or if it was a mutual decision to complete the storyline and exit. She’s been booked and busy before returning to the East End — side note; you should watch Amazon Prime’s The Girlfriend — and will no doubt continue to be so once again. She’s getting her flowers, and that’s a joy to witness.

Six months ago I’d probably have backed her remaining in Walford. There was, of course, huge potential for Julie and Phil to become closer in the weeks and months after Nigel’s death. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the last year, it’s that this woman is more than able to hold her own against Phil Mitchell and keep him in check when needed.

But it felt a bit cheap overall. Like it was any excuse to keep her and Karen. And what happens then? Inevitable drama and upset — this is soapland. A relationship built on their shared grief would hit blocks and do we really want that for either character? No, I didn’t fully believe in a relationship between them no matter how I tried to convince myself that it would be worth it.

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Julie has a life outside of EastEnders. She did what she had to do to get Nigel through his last year. Now he’s done right by her and sent her off to have the trip of a lifetime. It’ll be sad not to see, but knowing Julie’s out there feels a much more fitting and deserving continuation for the character we’ve taken into our hearts.

You know what I’ve been imagining? Race Across The World fans, you’ll be familiar with Margo and Mark on the current series. Two people who were brought into each other’s lives because Margo’s late sister married Mark. After her death, she wanted them to be genuine friends, not just in-laws. Now they’re travelling the world. That’s Phil and Julie. Nigel will bond them forever. If the BBC could send them off with a camera crew and limited budget, I’ll happily watch Phil and Julie trying to make it to a remote checkpoint on a straight-to-streaming iPlayer release.

Off-screen we can imagine Julie having her own experiences again — maybe off with her son Josh or slotting into a role as grandmother now that she’s on speaking terms with Clare again. Just give us little bits of information now and again if she can maintain a relationship with Phil. And next time Steve McFadden needs a break, how lovely would it be to hear that he’s off to Scotland for a few weeks? Sorry Portugal, you’re done.

So today we bid farewell to ar Julie once more. This time though, she’s not just Nigel’s plus one leaving in a black cab. She’s our Northern Queen. She’s Julie Bates. And we’re gonna bloody miss her. Ta-ra, Julie, sweetheart, you’ve been bloody brilliant.