EastEnders reveals full details of Nigel's emotional funeral as Walford says goodbye. 12/05/2026

 Tissues at the ready…

The residents of Walford say an emotional farewell to Nigel Bates in EastEnders next week, as the day of his funeral service arrives. But will everyone be able to cope with the immense loss on the day?

Although his nearest and dearest knew that Nigel’s death was coming, it doesn’t make it any easier when the moment finally comes to lay him to rest. On the morning of the ceremony, his wife Julie Bates continues to struggle with writing her late husband’s eulogy - so she turns to her loved ones for help.

As those who knew Nigel best recall memories of his life, one moment in particular helps Julie to pen her emotional final goodbye…

"Julie doesn’t see how she can pour decades of her love for Nigel into just a short speech; she’s really struggling," explains our EastEnders insider.

She wants to do Nigel justice and make sure everything is just right. Luckily, once she finds the special memory, she suddenly feels certain that she’s found the right words to send off her sweetheart."

Nigel’s funeral scenes are truly moving, and fans will have a hard time sitting through them without shedding a tear," reveals our source.

"Up at the lectern alone, Julie looks so vulnerable. Luckily, she’s surrounded by love in Walford and has the full support of everyone who loved Nigel, too. It’s going to be a difficult road ahead without her husband, but Julie doesn’t have to navigate her grief in silence."

After the service, Julie and Nigel's oldest friend Phil gather to share a heart-to-heart about their lost loved one. However, they’re soon interrupted when his sister Sam barges in and demands that Phil spend time with her and brother Grant…

The Mitchell siblings have bigger fish to fry, but luckily, Phil and Julie have time for a quiet moment to remember Nigel together," says our insider.

"They’ve come a long way together since Julie first came back to Walford, and although their friendship has faced some roadblocks, they’re now totally united in their grief and adoration for the brilliant man that Nigel was. Let’s just hope it stays that way!"

Once all is said and done, peaceful Julie finally works up the courage to open the precious letter that contains Nigel’s parting words to her.

Will the final piece she has left of her beloved help her come to terms with his death and shape her future? Or will Nigel’s letter bring fresh agony for the grieving widow?

Hollyoaks uncovers two devastating lies in Ste and Rex wedding chaos..

 Ro drops a bombshell or two.

Hollyoaks has uncovered two devastating lies amid the chaos of Ste Hay and Rex Gallagher's upcoming wedding. Last week, Ro Hutchinson found out that his mum Diane, who has terminal cancer, had booked a family holiday without buying a ticket for herself.

Following that bombshell, Ro, who has a crush on Rex and has told him so, also found out that Ste had cheated on Rex with his ex-husband James Nightingale.

Ste and Ro are unaware that Rex already knows about Ste and James, as he recently overheard a conversation between the pair in which Ste sent James packing.

In tonight's episode, Diane confided in Tony over her fears that Ro had been bottling up his emotions again.

A comment from Rex left Leela wondering if he knew about Ste’s affair when he questioned if he was "the only one" for Ste.

After talking to Kathleen-Angel about looking out for friends, Ro was inspired to tell Rex what he heard last night about Ste cheating on him.

Ste panicked when Leela told him that she thought Rex knew the truth about James and Ste concluded that the pair were being paranoid.

He said: "This is just pre-wedding nerves and we're being paranoid. We're going out and we're going to have a nice meal. 'Cause there's no way that he knows."

At the garage, Ro went to tell Rex the truth, but before he could say anything, Rex, fearing that the lovelorn teenager still had a crush on him, fired him.

During Rex and Ste's pre-wedding dinner at The Dog, Nancy shared stolen glances at her struggling friend Diane while Ste remained convinced that his husband-to-be didn’t know anything.

Later at The Dog, Darren played guitar while everyone huddled around the fireplace. A drunk Ro, who had drowned his sorrows at The Hutch, came through the doors at The Dog, breaking some shocking news.

Attempting to stop the wedding and wanting to protect Rex, he said: "At least I can be honest, unlike you two. You hiding who you are, and you cheating on him with James."

After everyone left, Ro also confronted Diane after finding out that she hadn’t booked herself a flight ticket, saying: "You're lying about how much time you've got left, aren't ya?"

Coronation Street's Summer to plan escape amid Theo murder suspicions..

 Is she guilty of the crime?

Summer Spellman is dramatically betrayed by her closest allies on Coronation Street next week, when accusations fly and she's taken in for questioning by the police over Theo Silverton's murder!

Pressure mounts between Todd's nearest and dearest, and George blames Summer for Theo's demise after memories come flooding back to him. Things get even worse for the panicked Summer, as the evidence paints her as vengeful and full of hate.

At the same time, she receives an offer to return to the US to study at university, but knows that leaving won't look too good. Will she convince the police of her innocence – or flee overseas before she's charged?

"There are a number of things stacking up against Summer!" teases Harriet Bibby, who plays the prime suspect. "The police are on her tail and she isn’t thinking logically. She decides the best solution is to just run away, as she needs to get out of the pressure cooker!"

With the investigation circling the Street, Summer is on edge around Kit. But her innermost thoughts are about to make her look even guiltier after George finds her journal – which includes a startling description of her putting a gun to Theo's head!

Summer knows this looks really bad," explains Harriet. "At this point, everyone is suspicious of everyone. If your nearest and dearest are starting to question you, then that makes you look capable of murder."

Not only are George and Christina concerned about what they found, but Kit also spots a crucial piece of evidence in the background of Lisa's wedding photo. The discovery puts Summer at the scene of the crime, which prompts Lisa to pull her in for questioning.

Sitting in a police station being questioned over someone's murder is horrific," reveals Harriet. "Summer's in panic mode. Everyone who was linked to Theo is just trying to keep their head above water and stay out of suspicion's way."

Although Todd does a good job defending Summer to Lisa, George's doubts trigger fresh memories of the night in question, forcing him to confront Summer about what he remembers. But soon, she's turning the accusations back round to him.

As fingers are pointed and gossip spreads, Christina also finds herself caught in a big fib. She urges George to come clean about Summer's lies – but is Christina trying to distract from her own whereabouts that night?

As Summer panics that she'll be arrested for Theo’s murder, she packs a bag and makes plans to head back to America. Her future certainly looks bleak as the police build their case, but could Theo's murderer really be the person everyone least expected?

"Theo stole Billy away from Summer," Harriet reminds us. "He's also taken a part of Todd, because he's not the same guy as he once was. It boils down to the question: would Summer kill to protect what's left of her family?"

Alf begins to isolate himself from his friends and family as suspicion grows that he was involved in Abigail’s accident.

 

Alf (Ray Meagher) recently found himself on the wrong side of the law when he was pulled over by Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) and enthusiastic new Probationary Constable Richie (Rocco Forrester-Sach) for driving with a lapsed registration.

As Cash was forced to ask Alf for his licence, Alf responded that there was a slight problem there – “it’s expired too!”

Roo (Georgie Parker) had recently found a letter explaining that now Alf had turned 75, he couldn’t renew his licence until he completed a mandatory medical checkup – and with the letter a month old, he’d missed the deadline and his licence had lapsed.

With Alf having already become fed up of Roo’s growing concerns about his age, he wrote the letter off as a load of rubbish, claiming that he’d sort it out when he was good and ready.

After some initial hesitation, he soon called to make an appointment, and was on the way to see his doctor when he was pulled over, despite knowing that he was breaking the law by driving himself there.

Thankfully, while Richie was keen to process the paperwork, Cash made it clear that they could use their discretion; as it was Alf’s first offence, they could let him off with a warning.

However, Alf insisted that they give him a fine, not wanting special treatment, and went on to cancel his medical assessment in frustration.

It took David (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) to convince him that he had no choice but to book an appointment with the doc if he wanted to continue driving, after Alf opened up to him and explained that he was scared that the doctor would find something of concern.

Eventually, Alf got Justin (James Stewart) to drive him, and after getting everything signed off, he was officially given a renewed licence.

He’d planned on making the trip to Merimbula to visit Martha, but after initially shrugging off Roo’s concerns about embarking on such a long drive so soon, he eventually conceded that the time wasn’t right and that he’d give her plenty of warning of future trips away.

He instead took a trip to nearby Banksia Creek for a spot of fishing the following morning.

Meanwhile, Abigail (Hailey Pinto) was on her way back from a night out in Reefton Lakes with Lacey (Sophea Pennington), when she got a flat tyre near to Banksia Creek.

Stopping at the side of the road to fix it, she was hit by the side mirror of a passing vehicle, injuring her leg and leaving her with a gash to her arm.

The driver failed to stop, leaving Abigail to limp home alone.

When Abby and Levi (Tristan Gorey) headed to the police station to report the incident, Abby explained that she barely had a chance to see the car that hit her, but that she was fairly sure it was a red ute.

News soon spread around the bay, and Roo was taken aback to hear that the car that had hit Abby sounded awfully similar to her dad’s ute.

Knowing that he’d been at Banksia Creek at the same time, she confronted him at the surf club and asked if there was any chance he’d inadvertently hit someone whilst driving back from his fishing trip.

While Alf denied any involvement, the encounter was overheard by new cop Richie – who now just so happens to be dating Abby – and he immediately reported their conversation to Cash and David.

Alf was furious at the accusations, telling David that he’d stop and help if he saw someone with a flat tyre, not plough into them, and couldn’t believe it when he’s told that his ute will have go to in for forensics.

At the end of last week, Alf approached Abby at the surf club, planning on having a conversation with her about the incident and to check that she was okay, but when she flinched as he moved towards her, he realised that she too thinks he’s to blame.

This week, it’s nearly time for baby Archie’s first birthday party.

His actual birthday was a couple of weeks ago, but the celebrations were postponed after Tane (Ethan Browne) was hospitalised.

With Tane about to be released from hospital, and now a free man, Summer Bay bands together to put the final preparations in place for the party.

However, there’s one other big topic of conversation going around the bay – did Alf hit Abigail? And with Abby unable to remember the details, Alf is growing increasingly agitated.

“Everybody thinks it’s Alf and no one is taking him seriously,” Ray explains to TV Week. “And the gossip begins to gain momentum around town so much that he becomes frustrated and kind of loses it at Abigail for not remembering – because this is his life.”

When Harper (Jessica Redmayne) invites Alf along to the party, considering him an ‘honorary grandfather’ to her son, he’s not willing to go. He explains that he can’t face the community when everyone believes that he was responsible for Abby’s injuries.

To top it off, with even his own daughter doubting him, he begins to doubt himself.

Not wanting to risk hurting anyone else, he hands over his car keys and makes an announcement – he’s giving up driving.

Meanwhile, the party gets into full swing, with Sonny (Ryan Bown) playing his part by building a toy tricycle for Archie, while Tane enjoys the chance to reconnect with his friends after his extended stint away from Summer Bay.

Tane also takes the chance to tell John (Shane Withington) and Mali (Kyle Shilling) that he’s okay with the fact that they re-opened Summer Bay Fit without his permission, as part of their plan to help Sonny with his recovery.

It seems normality is finally returning for Tane, Harper and Archie.

Marilyn (Emily Symons) is of course on hand with the food, as Harper delights in how well the day has gone.

But with everyone in such high spirits, there’s just one person missing – Alf.

Will he really continue to push away his friends and family, or can he be convinced to join in on the fun?

EastEnders boss teases returning characters with "surprises on the horizon"

 "Keep your eyes peeled."

Over the past 12 months, EastEnders has brought back a number of familiar faces to Albert Square, including the likes of Zoe Slater, Anthony Trueman and Chrissie Watts. This April, Grant Mitchell also made another surprise comeback, as he supported his loved ones amid Nigel Bates' dementia battle.

Following the show's BAFTA win for Best Soap last night (10 May), executive producer Ben Wadey was asked about the possibility of more character returns in the near future. Though he didn't give away any names, Wadey teased some "surprises on the horizon" in the next few weeks.

I mean, we've got an amazing cast already working on the show every single day, so it's about who's there as much as who we might bring back," he said.

"But I would keep your eyes peeled in the next few weeks; there may be a couple of nice surprises on the horizon."

When asked about the soap's enduring success, Wadey credited "fresh ideas" from the writers, as well as "the legacy of the programme".

Forty years of amazing stories and amazing characters. We've got the best writing team in the business, who just come every single month with ways to keep the show fresh. Like The Six [storyline] - so good and original, it pushed the show forward.

We just did a flashforward for our New Year's Day episode last year, to keep the audience guessing. So I think it's about getting that balance of looking at the legacy, but also stories that are making the show feel modern and relevant today."

While Wadey didn't reveal much about the returning characters, we already know that Gemma Bissix (Clare Bates) and Jon Lee (Josh Saunders) will soon be reprising their roles for Nigel's upcoming funeral.

The beloved character tragically passed away two weeks ago, with his wife Julie and best friend Phil Mitchell by his side. Bissix already returned for a brief stint earlier this year but will be back with Lee to bid Nigel a final farewell.

Emmerdale confirms big story for another character amid Cain's cancer ordeal

 "He takes things in, but he doesn't speak much."

Emmerdale will air a huge development in Cain Dingle's cancer storyline next week, as he undergoes his important prostatectomy. But while Cain and Moira try to put on a brave face ahead of the operation, Kyle Winchester begins to spiral at the thought of losing his dad.

In upcoming episodes, the Dingles prepare for Cain's procedure, which was delayed following his hit-and-run accident. When the day finally arrives, the family has breakfast together before heading over the hospital.

However, unbeknownst to Cain, his son Kyle is really struggling with the whole ordeal. Viewers will see how Cain's illness impacts the youngster and how he copes with his feelings behind closed doors.

Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain, explained that his character "doesn't have a clue" about Kyle's internal fears, though he "can see that he's struggling a wee bit with it".

"Before he goes into hospital, Kyle doesn't have breakfast with the rest of the family. He can see he's not quite right, but he's just thinking, 'he's just lost his mum a year previously, so I've got to keep an eye on him,'" the actor said.

But he doesn't understand if there's anything else going on, he's just thinking, 'Yeah, he's not feeling too good because he's probably thinking I'm going to lose [my] dad as well now.'"

Following the operation, which goes well, Cain faces his own dilemma as he worries about becoming permanently incontinent. While he focuses on the next stage in his recovery, Moira gets "a glimpse" of how the kids are dealing with things.

"Isaac's just keeping himself busy, but he's a bit younger and he's just off the wall. But Kyle's taking everything in in a different way," shared Natalie J Robb, who plays Moira. "They are kind of making Kyle more Cain-like. He takes things in, but he doesn't speak much. He's quite moody – he's fantastic."

"But yeah, you do start to see Kyle's journey. He gets affected a lot more by it than Isaac at first. There's a lot coming up with that."