EastEnders has delivered a masterclass episode focusing on Nigel Bates’s (Paul Bradley) heartbreaking storyline, serving up all the ingredients to showcase what the BBC soap does best.

This is an era that’s seen some viewer frustration, with Zoe Slater’s (Michelle Ryan) storylines running on a continuous loop and Callum Highway’s (Tony Clay) decision to dump absent husband Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) for Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) proving very unpopular with fans of ‘Ballum’.

But, despite recent faults, EastEnders is still the show we know and love, and we couldn’t have had a more powerful reminder.

Life changed forever for Nigel, wife Julie (Karen Henthorn) and best pal Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) as his loved ones prepared for him to move into a care home amid the worsening of his dementia symptoms.

Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) was on hand to help Nigel’s beloved stepdaughter Clare Bates (Gemma Bissix) bring him back to The Queen Vic for one last drink.

From then on, we saw just about every aspect of the genre brought to the forefront – and expertly so.

It was easy to identify both with Julie’s panic and an exhausted Phil’s calm, dissociated exterior when they realised Nigel had left the hospital.

I smiled as our favourite barmaid Tracey (Jane Slaughter), fondly recalled introducing Nigel to first wife Debbie (Nicola Duffett), and laughed as Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) entertained the locals with the classic tale of a hungover Nigel and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) waking up in a field and wrongly believing they were in France.

While the likes of Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) only know the Nigel of recent times, the crowded community spirit didn’t feel forced because he’s always been a man of the people, and newest friend Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) was there to keep things in order.

When Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) took the opportunity to try his luck with Clare, there was the added bonus of revisiting old times, as she turned him down with an epic retort that brilliantly matched up to her last memorable stint.

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But amid the fanfare, my heart broke for Clare as she mourned Nigel being unable to recognise her; only to cry happy tears when he briefly acknowledged her, thanks to Julie’s recollections of their shared past.

EastEnders has a seamless knack for pulling off major returns for the right reasons and at the right time. Nigel’s journey would have been incomplete without an appearance from Clare, so to have her back to share that special moment, bookended by her moving gratitude towards Julie after so much animosity, was perfect and Gemma’s touching performance ensured our hearts were with her alter ego.

It was a harrowing watch as Phil and Clare accompanied Nigel to his new home, where, in his confusion and distress, he angrily lashed out. Steve and Karen shone as Phil and Julie wept separately over how Nigel’s illness had changed him.

Almost a year on from Phil’s decision to be with Nigel to the end, the reality of carer burnout was laid bare and he sadly walked away.

This episode was never going to have a happy conclusion, but without doubt it delivered on enduring love – something we trust Phil won’t let go of despite his latest painful move.

From Phil’s conflicted demeanour, to the stripping away of Clare’s hardened attitude, giving way to that vulnerable little girl who once made Nigel her chosen family, this was character-driven drama at its finest.

Then there was Lexi’s faltering smile after she waved Nigel off and retreated into her shell in scenes superbly portrayed by Isabella, the gravity of the situation and that reminder of her mum hitting home.

The instalment was filled with rich history of that calibre.

It was there in the silence when we knew Lexi must have been thinking of Lola (Danielle Harold), in Tracey’s assuring presence as she dutifully held onto every memory and story, and in the way Clare’s friendship with Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) was not forgotten.

Nigel’s gradual transformation has been commendably played by Paul, and the soap took great care in impressing upon us that no matter what dementia takes from him, the real Nigel will always be the sweet, gentle soul who could also get away with putting Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) in his place.

Those references to Grant, made by Nigel in the depths of his illness, paved the way rather well for Ross’s imminent comeback to the role, and we already know Grant will be involved as we move towards Nigel’s final chapter.

As turbulent and emotional as this standalone edition was to watch, EastEnders hit every note that serial drama is famous for by leaning on its past, on ensemble players and intertwining the darkness with warmth and humour.

Playing to its strengths, the soap has proved that, whatever your stance on certain plot twists, it can still fire on all cylinders.

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Hollyoaks’ Nikki Sanderson has confirmed the gender of her baby ahead of the little tot’s arrival.

Nikki, who is 41, announced her pregnancy in December. She is expecting her first child with fellow soap star Anthony Quinlan, who played Pete Barton in Emmerdale, and Gilly Roach in Hollyoaks.

The couple shared their happy news over the festive period last year, announcing the pregnancy with a touching Instagram video that quickly captured fans’ hearts.

In the clip, Nikki and Anthony are seen decorating their Christmas tree together before opening a box to reveal a special bauble featuring their baby scan. The ornament reads: ‘Baby Quinlan: Arriving 2026.’

Alongside the video, Nikki wrote: ‘Merry Christmas from the 3 of us,’ confirming that she is due to give birth this spring.

With Nikki reaching the last phase of her pregnancy journey, she recently sat down with Anthony to reveal whether they’ll soon be welcoming a little boy or a baby girl into their family.

‘Anthony and I always said that we didn’t mind what we were having as long as our baby is healthy’, the Maxine Minniver actress said.

‘There was no, “I’d love this or that” – we were just over the moon’.

Nikki added in their chat with Closer: ‘But subconsciously, I always felt like I was going to be a boy mum and my family said the same. Whenever I thought about motherhood, I just kept envisioning a baby boy in my arms. Anthony’s thrilled because he’s going to have a mini Manchester United sidekick!’.

At the start of January, Nikki spoke honestly about the journey she’s been on with Anthony as they’ve tried for a baby.

Opening up about the experience, Nikki admitted that after repeated disappointment, she and Anthony had started preparing themselves for IVF treatment before conceiving naturally.

‘Because we’d had a few times where it wasn’t the result we wanted, it was like, “Is this for real?” she explained to OK! Magazine. ‘Even when we found out, it took a while for it to sink in.’

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The actress said the journey had taken an emotional toll on both of them, describing it as one of the most challenging periods of her life.

‘We’ve had a lot of ups and downs in our journey to becoming parents, and it’s been really hard on us,’ Nikki shared. ‘You try to stay positive, but there are moments where it feels overwhelming.’

Anthony, who previously starred in Hollyoaks and Emmerdale, admitted that at times he had almost lost hope that they would conceive without medical assistance. ‘We were kind of resigned to the fact that we may need assistance via IVF,’ he said. ‘We wanted this so much and we were just hoping, hoping, hoping.’

Nikki and Anthony first got together in 2022 and went public with their romance in April of that year. Anthony previously revealed that their relationship began when he messaged Nikki on social media.

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Of all the people in Coronation Street, scheming soap bitch Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) is possibly the least likely to keep a secret – especially if exposing that secret has dire consequences for her enemy, Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney).

Cassie and Tracy don’t get on, and that’s putting it mildly. These two warring women have been locked in a tense and bitter feud for so long, it’s a wonder one of them hasn’t ended up dead in the Rovers face down in their G&T.

Understandably, Tracy took a dislike to Cassie as soon as she exposed her for drugging her dad Ken Barlow (William Roache) to make him dependant on her while acting as his unofficial carer. Cassie didn’t make things any easier for herself by hooking up with Tracy’s ex-husband Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson). Although in fairness, Steve did only sleep with Cassie because Tracy had done the dirty on him with a footballer. But, hey. All’s fair in love and Corrie!

Ever since Cassie became official with Steve, her permanent presence in the Barlow family only intensified her heated rivalry with Tracy, who is fiercely protective of her father and family. Their vendetta has delighted fans with some truly brilliant lines, as the pair use their respective dark pasts against each other.

My personal favourite was when Tracy tore Cassie to shreds for her weak attempts to make up for her many past mistakes, only for Cassie to fire back by reminding her old enemy of the fire she set by mistake that killed Kal Nazi (Jim Mistri), quipping ‘I don’t suppose a box of wine for his mother would cut it”. Seriously, these two serve up some of the best verbal sparring on the Cobbles. Blanche Hunt would be proud.

Things between the two foes kicked off again last December, when Tracy was incensed to hear Cassie slagging her off over the cab radio. She took revenge by attempting to sabotage her work at Street Cars.

Imagine Tracy’s delight when some juicy tea about the woman she hates the most falls right into her lap.

Recently, Tracy and Cassie have been at loggerheads over Jim McDonald (Charles Lawson), Steve’s estranged father. When Steve found out that Jim was dying, he was devastated and conflicted over whether to make amends before it’s too late.

While Cassie encourages her man to bury the hatchet with Old McDonald, Tracy is quick to disagree, pointing out all the countless times Jim let his son down – most notably, convincing Steve’s mum Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard) that his latest girlfriend was actually his daughter Katie who died in childbirth, in a shameless cash-grab con.

Ultimately, Steve listened to Tracy and decided not to reconnect with Jim, opting instead to spend some quality time having a lads’ day with best mates Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) and Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker).

Upcoming episodes will see Cassie take Ste’s decision to move on with his life as the perfect time to pop the question… with disastrous consequences when Steve gets some tragic news.

Cassie’s positively giddy as she conspires with Tim to lead Steve to Victoria Gardens for a romantic proposal. Unfortunately, just as an unsuspecting Steve arrives to see an excited Cassie, his phone rings. It’s the hospital. Jim is dead. Steve is distraught.

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Struck by the creeping realisation that proposing to your boyfriend when his dad’s just died probably won’t result in an ‘I Do’, Cassie decides to keep quiet and comforts her fella instead.

But later, while everyone toasts Jim’s memory in the Rovers, Tracy is suspicious to see that Cassie’s all dressed up. When she clocks her slipping something into Mary Taylor’s (Patti Clare) pocket, those suspicions are positively raging…

As Steve and Cassie chat to Ben about Jim’s funeral arrangements, Tracy realises that Steve is still blissfully unaware that Cassie intended to make an honest man out of him.

Will Tracy keep Cassie’s secret quiet? I mean, obviously she won’t. It’s Tracy. Better question – is Cassie about to pull Tracy’s hair out?

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Mal Roper (Tim Treloar) was rushed to hospital in tonight’s Coronation Street after being brutally attacked and left for dead.

The newcomer has already caused quite a stir on the cobbles, with his infatuation with Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove) turning sinister earlier this week.

Mal arrived in Weatherfield on the hunt for Roy Cropper (David Neilson) to confront him about his letters to wife Alice.

After hearing Roy’s side of the story, Mal headed out to drown his sorrows and bumped into Bernie, with the pair soon embarking on a drug-fuelled night of partying.

Bernie was quick to regret the night in the cold light of the following day, but it had the opposite effect on Mal, who felt drawn to Bernie.

His obsession with her reached a worrying crescendo earlier this week when he held her hostage in the café as he professed his love.

When Bernie made it clear that she didn’t reciprocate his feelings, Mal turned nasty. Fortunately, Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) arrived before things went any further, but the whole experience left Bernie shaken.

Tonight, Kit was put on the case of investigating an attack on Mal, and he got a big shock when he arrived at the hospital and found out that he was in intensive care.

The doctor explained that Mal had hit his head on the pavement and suffered a cardiac arrest, and was now in critical condition. She also pointed out that bruising to his upper arms indicated an altercation.

Later, when Kit found out that new colleague DC Browning had made a breakthrough on the case, he was less than impressed at having to share the workload.

However, he would soon have much more to worry about when DC Browning arrested Bernie for the assault.

Things aren’t exactly looking good for Bernie, considering her last run-in with Mal in yesterday’s episode.

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Mal was determined to intimidate her by lurking across the street, before once again spewing vitriol about her and son Paul Foreman, who died of MND just over a year ago.

However, furious Bernie refused to show any fear, instead opting to threaten him, promising at top volume that she would kill him.

Having not exactly been subtle with her threat, could this be set to be her downfall? And was she really the person behind Mal’s attack?

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After almost 18 years away from EastEnders, Clare returns to find her stepdad Nigel battling advanced dementia, and she’s left absolutely shattered by what she sees. But alongside the heartbreak is something else: a lingering feeling that she’s been brought back too late.

Clare arrives after just hearing about Nigel’s condition for the first time. The man she once adored barely recognises her, and the opportunity she’s clearly been holding onto for years, to say sorry, to make things right, feels like it’s slipped through her fingers.

And in Clare’s mind, that timing doesn’t feel accidental.

As Gemma Bissix explains: ‘Clare has always wanted to come back and see him, and when she does find out he’s got dementia, I don’t think she realises how advanced it is. Clare feels like Julie has done it to get back at her; she feels like Julie has only called her at this late stage as a punishment. In Clare’s mind, it does feel quite cruel because I think Clare really wanted the chance to apologise to her dad.’

Clare and Nigel have been estranged for years, and that distance weighs heavily on her. The last time viewers saw her, she was causing chaos and leaving a trail of destruction behind her. But beneath the bravado, there’s always been something much sadder driving her behaviour.

‘The last time we saw her in the show, she was a bit of a maneater, and a bit more of a con artist, and those actions probably came from her inner trauma, and having no one to discipline her because her mum died when she was young, and when Nigel met Julie, I think Clare felt really pushed out. All Clare wants is the love of her dad, and she can see that she might not have that again, and she’s missed her opportunity, so it’s really heartbreaking for her.’

It’s that sense of missed opportunity that makes her return so painful to watch. Clare isn’t just facing Nigel’s illness; she’s confronting years of regret.

Of course, there’s tension with Julie. Old wounds don’t magically disappear. But with Nigel’s health deteriorating so rapidly, both women are forced to reassess what really matters. Any bitterness has to take a back seat.

There is, however, an unexpected source of comfort.

Clare initially clashes with Lexi, dismissing her as an interfering kid. But that quickly changes. As Gemma reveals: ‘On first impression, she thinks Lexi is a bit of an interfering child, but later they bond, and Clare realises that they were the same age when they both lost their mum, and I think there’s a really poignant connection between them both. It’s a link that has happened organically which is the beauty with long-running shows like EastEnders.’

Lexi makes her feel understood, and in a time and a place where she feels so alienated by Julie, and so detached from Nigel.’

‘It’s healing that Clare sees the love that Nigel had for Lexi, and when he mistakes Lexi for Clare, it gives her comfort as it reminds her how much Nigel did love Clare when they were young.’

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It’s a beautifully full-circle moment. In the middle of heartbreak, Clare finds connection and a reminder that she was loved, even if things fell apart later.

Behind the scenes, the return has clearly meant just as much to Gemma as it does to fans.

‘It was a long time coming, and I was just so chuffed because I haven’t seen Paul Bradley in over 20 years and so to be able to reconnect with him and work with him again felt like time had stood still. It was like no time had passed at all, and Paul is exactly the same lovely person he was before. Nigel’s dementia is portrayed as devastatingly real, something that resonates with so many families watching at home.’

The big question now is what happens next. With Nigel’s condition worsening, and emotions running high between Clare and Julie, difficult decisions lie ahead about his future care.

But for Clare, the damage already feels done.

She’s back. She’s facing the past. But she may have arrived just a little too late.

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Emmerdale’s Danny Miller has shared an emotional video after visiting his father, who has dementia.

Danny, who is 35, is best known for playing Aaron Dingle in the ITV soap.

The star has been incredibly open about how his dad Vince Miller, is living with dementia. Vince is a well-known figure in Manchester’s entertainment scene, having spent decades working as a compère and host for some of the UK’s biggest acts, including The Beatles and Take That.

This week, Danny paid another visit to his dad, but had to pull over on his way home to try and calm down after another emotional conversation.

‘If you’re lucky enough to still have a relationship with your parents, you still have them around whether they’re together or separated, if they’re still here, and you still get to talk to them, just cherish that moment every time you talk to them’, he begins in the video shared to his Instagram.

Danny decided to share how he was feeling because he’s hugely passionate about helping others in similar situations. He spoke in the video about how difficult it is to have the same conversation with his dad, who consistently asks about whether he’s back filming at Emmerdale, and how his children are.

The actor gets tearful as he reflects on the fact when his dad was of sound mind, he’d often put him on mute during phone calls because ‘he would just rant at me for a good 10, 15 minutes’.

‘I would do anything in the world to have that moment back right now’, Danny said as he reflected on the harsh reality of dementia completely altering his father’s life.

‘Dementia’s so cruel’.

‘I miss my Dad so much man, I really do’, he adds.

Danny was inundated with supportive messages from his followers and friends in the industry. The likes of Isabel Hodgins, Bradley Riches and Michael Parr have sent Danny heart emojis, while Paula Lane (Ella Forster) said: ‘It really hurts…thank you for sharing’.

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The charity Alzheimer’s Research UK said: ‘Thanks so much for sharing this Danny, sending you and your dad all our love. We promise our work won’t stop until everyone is free from the heartbreak of dementia.’

This follower of Danny’s wrote: ‘So sorry to see what your dad is going through. I lost my aunt to this same battle, and it’s heart-wrenching. Thank you for raising awareness and showing the world the love that remains even through the toughest days. Stay strong’.

Another shared their own experiences and said: ‘Totally understand this Danny I’m going through it with my mum and I’d give anything in this world to have my mum back as I know her.

‘I spoke to her multiple times a day every day and now she can barely talk so I can’t call her and tell her all the little things and it hurts so so bad. Thank you for posting this we’re all with you xx’.

Danny has played the role of Aaron Dingle in Emmerdale on and off since 2008.

The character is currently enjoying some well deserved peace and quiet, following a nightmarish 2025 that saw him in danger many times as a result of John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth).

Aaron has reunited with Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and they’re now engaged.

Following Victoria Sugden’s (Isabel Hodgins) departure, Robert is determined to build up the Sugden farm legacy again, and Aaron has reassured his partner that he’ll be there every step of the way.

Arthur Thomas (Alfie Clarke) is fast becoming Emmerdale’s number one ratbag and Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) can no longer protect him.

He began to turn to the dark side when he stole Ray Walters’ (Joe Absolom) bag which transpired to contain drugs and money. Instead of giving it back, he kept it and while Laurel ditched the drugs on his behalf, Arthur kept the money and started imagining himself living the high-baller life.

He flashed his new cash, buying himself a new phone and showing it off to April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan), which wasn’t the smartest move as she ended up tugging at his heartstrings over how poor Ray has left her family, making Arthur thinking perhaps he should hand over the cash.

But moral-less Arthur managed to stave off that thought and held on to the money with plans to nick off to Australia.

Laurel was horrified at how cold her son had become, they rowed, and she scratched him with the ring. This was the moment that cemented Arthur becoming the little devil he now is.

But there is worse to come. With another row between mother and son brewing, Arthur will rapidly lost his cool and do the unthinkable – push Laurel in a fit of rage and give her a head injury.

She is rushed to hospital with concussion with Arthur feeling somewhat sheepish. Initially, it appears she doesn’t know what had happened and Arthur feels guilty at the prospect of having damaged her memory.

But she’s hiding something.

When Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) questions her, Laurel sticks to her account that she blacked out and fell on the stairs, but Nicola is worried there is a medical explanation for her friend’s fall.

Arthur is sweating; no one yet knows he did this atrocious thing to his mum, but he knows it will come out soon.

After Laurel is treated, Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) is horrified to see Laurel experience a dizzy moment. It piques Arthur’s guilt as he starts to wonder if his actions have caused Laurel lasting damage.

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He need not have worried. Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) conducts a home visit and sends Gabby and Arthur away for a moment alone with her patient. Will Laurel tell her what really happened?

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EastEnders’ Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) once thought Tim Walton (Tom Ratcliffe) was sent from above when he invested into his fledgling business, but his recent actions have shown he likely originated quite a bit south of Heaven. Like, seriously south.

After Johnny shot himself in the foot by sending his plans to open a new law firm to his current boss and was given the sack, his beloved grandma, Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe), encouraged him to plough on and fulfil his dream of running his own practice.

So that he did, with the support of boyfriend, Callum Highway (Tony Clay), he arranged a meeting with an old university friend who had interest in giving the start-up a cash injection.

Callum’s support started to shudder, though, when the friend arrived in Walford for a drink with Johnny and his loved ones. Tim’s Tom Read Wilson-esque voice, propensity for chugging champagne and very clear attraction toward Johnny had his back up immediately, though Tim smarmed his way back out of Albert Square as soon as the deal was done.

And that was that, for a while. Johnny and Callum reverted to normal. Normal being constantly haunted by the spectre of Callum’s ex-husband, Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), and dealing with raising Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown), of course.

Until Tim reared his impeccably groomed head again, this time with his eyes set firmly on Callum, rather than Johnny and requested an illegal favour. Needing to besmirch a business competitor, he asked Callum to dig into his rivals official information and provide him with evidence of a criminal record.

Callum, the honourable, noble copper that he is, point blank refused to help, absolutely disgusted with the suggestion, and stormed out. Probably not the best reaction, given that Johnny’s business is on the bones of its backside and needs more money from Tim to survive, is it?

Johnny and Callum argued, of course. The arrival of divorce papers sent by Ben muddying the water even further, though they eventually made up, right before a mystery man handed Callum a piece of paper. Claiming the address scrawled on it held a USB stick that would land Ben another decade behind bars, the stranger implored him to find it and destroy it.

Though Callum initially determines to stay out of it, Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) begs him to take care of the problem, if not for Ben then for Lexi. With the mention of his pseudo daughter, Callum’s mind was made up and he, Kathy and Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) headed off…

…straight into a set up.

With Tim now possessing more than enough ammunition to cost Callum his career and believing it to be enough proof that Callum’s loyalty will always lie with Ben, further cracks appear in Johnny and Callum’s relationship.

Cracks, Johnny believes, that can only be dealt with by Callum officially signing the divorce papers. He does, and with a spot of afternoon loving, Johnny determines to shut Tim down once and for all.

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As Tim appears in Walford, summoned by Johnny, he crosses Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), who was some harsh words for the devious investor, and despite some initial comebacks from Tim, wipes the floor with him verbally.

Finally face to face, Johnny lays his cards on the table and begs Tim to delete the incriminating footage. Tim, though, has other ideas. He will delete the footage, and allow Johnny to keep the investment, as long as Johnny has sex with him.

Johnny’s face drops as the enormity of Tim’s utter sleaziness lands on him like a ton of bricks.

Having promised to deal with the Tim problem, and with his relationship with Callum seemingly on perennially shaky ground, will Johnny accept Tim’s indecent proposal?

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Coronation Street’s Lucy Fallon has spoken about a period in her life that saw her spend five weeks in a mental health hospital.

The actress, who is 30, currently plays Bethany Platt in the ITV soap. It was during the first Coronavirus lockdown in 2020 that saw Lucy struggle with her mental health and, at the time, she struggled to see how she could move forward.

Lucy ended up getting admitted to The Priory, a hospital that specialises in treatment for mental health.

‘I was just at the absolute rock bottom that I’ve ever, ever felt. And I really, really, really struggled. I had a really bad batch of mental health towards the end of 2020 and I ended up being in The Priory for about five weeks because my mental health was so bad. I couldn’t see a way out of feeling how I was feeling.’

Continuing her chat on Johnny Seifert’s Secure the Insecure podcast, Lucy explained that her family played a huge role in getting her some help.

‘I ended up having to go to hospital, and it was from that point that other people were involved – my mum and my sisters and people that I’d worked with before. It almost felt like other people, other factors, were telling me, “Right, you need some serious help now. It’s gone a bit too far”. I really didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to go and I even remember getting there. I really, really did not want to go in.’

When Lucy first arrived at the centre, she felt as though she wasn’t ‘bad enough to be there’.

‘It almost felt like this just feels a bit alien and a bit strange, like, I don’t know why I’m here’, she said.

After a few weeks though, Lucy started to settle in.

‘I got to grips with it. And actually after a week of being there, I liked it. I felt quite safe. I met quite a lot of people there who I sometimes still keep in contact with now.’

‘It took me a while to adjust’, Lucy added, revealing that she moved back in with her parents once she came out of the hospital.

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‘Coming out and being in the real world and just having to carry on felt strange. But I also had a really good support system around me.

‘Going and being with my mum and dad for a few weeks after, rather than just going back to my house, was a really nice thing – especially to have your tea cooked for you every night. And all my washing done as well.’

Life has changed a lot for Lucy since she went to The Priory.

‘It seems like a completely different life’, she noted, reflecting on the period.

‘I feel like that was a totally different version of me. And I’ve been lucky enough to say that I did manage to get myself out of it, because I know for so many people that’s not the reality and you can stay on that level and it’s really hard to get out of feeling like that.’

‘I just accepted that, that was a blip in my mental health and in my own journey. I do deserve to be happy and to be in the relationship that I’m in, and I deserve the job that I’ve had. I’ve worked really hard.

‘I don’t know if it was to do with being at The Priory for five weeks. I don’t know if it was that. But things just kind of stayed at a good level for me.’

Lucy is in a relationship with Ryan Ledson, a 28-year-old professional footballer.

The couple welcomed their daughter Nancy in January 2025, two years after the birth of their first child, Sonny, who arrived in January 2023.

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Kim Tate (Claire King) has been suspicious of Graham Foster’s (Andrew Scarborough) return from the very start in Emmerdale but then again, it’s hardly surprising.

When Graham swanned back into Home Farm, he told Kim that he was back for Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), who he thought of as a son the last time he was in the village. At the time, both Joe and Kim told Graham that they would’ve preferred it if he stayed dead, but now things have changed.

Joe has decided to give Graham another chance, much to Kim’s annoyance. To further irritate her, Graham is also living in her house.

Kim still believes that Graham is an incredibly arrogant man who is only back in Emmerdale for his own gain. As she cares about Joe, it makes seeing him interact with Graham and get close to him tricky, as she cannot shake the feeling he’s going to end up getting hurt.

This theory was fuelled in this evening’s episode, as Kim spotted Graham speaking with a surprising resident.

In the morning, Joe, Kim and Graham were in the kitchen speaking about Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) stealing the DeLorean last week. Joe had decided Graham needed to get it back, but Kim pointed out that she could do it, and wouldn’t create anymore drama in the process.

Joe declined her offer though and reiterated that he had already asked Graham to get the vehicle back. Was Kim jealous in this moment? More than likely, but admitting that wasn’t ever going to happen.

Graham headed to Butlers and found the car, but also discovered a letter than confirmed Cain’s cancer diagnosis. He tried to speak with the troubled man later in the day, and even revealed his father’s prostate cancer journey by way of trying to connect, but Cain didn’t want to listen.

He wasn’t given much choice but to listen to Graham as the evening drew in, as he arrived and sat opposite Cain in the pub. Graham told Cain to stop fighting with the Tates and focus on his health and Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb). He also shook his hand and confirmed he wouldn’t tell anyone about the diagnosis.

Just as this happened, Kim walked in. She immediately grew suspicious and this week, Kim will orchestrate a situation in the hope of proving Graham is planning on betraying Joe.

Ever since Graham returned, he’s reminded people of his loyalty to Joe. He’s said this, but also hasn’t hesitated in mentioning that he won’t always do as Joe asks.

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Earlier on in the episode, Kim told Graham that she’s playing the long game when it comes to proving what he’s up to. Graham approached and said that yes, she is used to the long game, but isn’t used to losing it.

The scenes that unfolded in this evening’s episode with Graham has got us thinking that Kim’s theory over him being busy concocting something that’ll result in Joe’s heart being broken again isn’t quite right.

However, we’re starting to wonder if Graham’s hatred towards Kim and undying loyalty to Joe will eventually see the two men take over Home Farm, and leave Kim out in the cold.

Is Kim finally going to meet her match?

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