EastEnders viewers are urging the BBC soap to bring back Debbie Bates, three decades after her tragic death. The character, played by Nicola Duffett, was the devoted wife of Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) and mother to Clare (Gemma Bissix) until she was killed in 1995 after being hit by a car.
Nigel recently returned to Walford over Christmas 2024 and revealed he has early-onset dementia. Next month, a special episode will see his condition worsen, with flashbacks to 1990 featuring Pat Butcher and Barry Evans. Fans hope the episode will also include his late wife Debbie.
On social media, one enthusiast posted: “Nigel’s first wife Debbie needs to return for Christmas special”, while another insisted: “Debbie and Clare should be back, resurrected for Nigel’s storyline.” A third questioned: “Why not Debbie and Claire?”
Nicola Duffett, now 62, rose to fame in 1992 with a supporting role in the Oscar-winning film Howards End and played Debbie from 1993 to 1995. After EastEnders, she took on a long-running role in Family Affairs (1998–2005), but the show’s cancellation led to financial difficulties, and she was declared bankrupt in 2007.
Since then, her career has revived with roles in Endeavour, The Coroner, Waterloo Road, and Coronation Street in 2020. Most recently, she appeared in Murder, They Hope and Amazon Prime’s Agatha Raisin. Whether she will reprise her role as Debbie remains unconfirmed.
