Karen Henthorn returns to EastEnders

Karen Henthorn is reprising her role as Nigel’s wife Julie Bates in EastEnders this summer – 27 years after she was last seen in Albert Square.

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.

Karen last appeared in the show in 1998 when Julie and Nigel moved to Scotland to start a new life together.

Executive Producer Ben Wadey says: “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.”

Karen Henthorn says: “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.”

Karen’s voice was heard on-screen earlier this year when viewers saw Nigel listen to a voicemail message from Julie.