Karen Henthorn returning to EastEnders as Julie Bates

She was last seen in Walford 27 years ago!

As Nigel's dementia storyline continues, EastEnders has confirmed what many had been hoping for... the return of Nigel's wife, Julie Bates! Karen Henthorn last appeared in the show in 1998 when Julie and Nigel moved to Scotland to start a new life together.

She'll be reprising her role as Nigel's wife this summer, 27 years after she was last seen in Albert Square. Her voice was heard on-screen earlier this year when viewers saw Nigel listen to a voicemail message from Julie.

Nigel left Julie last year without explanation and returned to Walford, initially telling friends that they had separated.

Later, Nigel admitted that he didn’t want to become a burden to Julie, so he chose to disappear and deal with his dementia alone. However, Julie is set to discover the truth when she arrives in Albert Square.

Ahead of her return, 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."

To which the show's Executive Producer, Ben Wadey, added "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."

EastEnders continues Mondays to Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One with first look episodes available from 6am on BBC iPlayer