EastEnders airs unannounced return for voice cameo for intriguing early BBC iPlayer release

The BBC One soap aired the unexpected return of Paul Bradley as Nigel Bates on Christmas Eve but it has been clear since then that he is not being entirely honest with his struggling friend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).

Despite being ostensibly homeless, Christmas Day's episodes revealed that Nigel was receiving messages from his wife Julie Bates (née Haye) who begged him to return home. Nigel had also told Phil that Julie and he had split and she had kicked him out of their home after moving on from him.

On Monday's episode, Nigel got a job working at Kathy's Cafe after reuniting with old friend Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) and helping her with the lunchtime rush.

Throughout the episode, Nigel dealt with the suspicions of Phil's cousin Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) about what really brought him back to Walford.

Yet, as Nigel recalled his friendship with the late Dot Branning (June Brown), Billy was persuaded that Nigel had no sinister motives behind his return to Walford and stay with Phil.

However, during the conversation, Nigel ignored a phone call before listening to a voicemail once Billy had left. The sender of the voicemail: Nigel's wife Julie, once again voiced by actress Karen Henthorn.

A distressed Julie was heard pleading: "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. I miss you. I love you, Nigel."

Will an emotional Nigel get back in touch with Julie and will we see her back in Walford?

Spoilers for later in the week have revealed that Nigel will open up to another of Dot's old friends, Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter). What is Nigel's secret?

Who is Julie Haye in EastEnders?

Julie Haye, now Bates, is the second wife of Nigel Bates, played by actress Karen Henthorn.

The character appeared in EastEnders from 1997 to 1998.

Julie is introduced as a schoolteacher of widower Nigel's stepdaughter Clare Bates (Gemma Bissix) and tries to help him curtail Clare's new turn into bad behaviour in a gang of bullies and they are successful.

The pair developed a friendship over films and working together on a school play about Walford, prompting them to start a romance.

Nigel and Julie's romance hits a snag when Clare's new love interest Josh Saunders (played by S Club 7's Jon Lee) is revealed to be Julie's son and that Julie plans to move away to Scotland with Josh and take him away from his father.

Despite Nigel's fear of rejection by Julie, the pair's romance continues to blossom. However, Nigel's unresolved grief for Clare's late mother Debbie leads him to end their affair.

Clare resolves to reunite the pair as Julie and Josh still plan to move to Scotland but Nigel initially shuns the after-party for the play when it is a huge success.

Yet, as Julie and Josh get their taxi to leave Walford, a romantic Nigel stops it and professes his love for the schoolteacher and asks if he and Clare can join them in Scotland and Julie says yes.

In April 1998, Julie returned to collect Nigel and Clare and the family departed for a new life in Scotland.

What else has actress Karen Henthorn been in?

Outside of EastEnders, British actress Karen Henthorn is best known for her role as fiery Teresa Bryant in Coronation Street from 2008 to 2010.

Henthorn has also starred in The Booze Cruise, Doctors, Shameless, Trollied, Vera, Time, In The Flesh, and Heartbeat.

The actress's most recent role was as Emily in the BBC drama The Listeners.

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EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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