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S Club Star Jon Lee to Reprise EastEnders Role After 29 Years
The singer will be back as the BBC soap says an emotional goodbye to one of its oldest characters.
S Club 7 star Jon Lee is set to return to EastEnders almost three decades after his often-forgotten stint in Albert Square. The 44-year-old, best known for his time in the '90s and Noughties pop group, will reprise his role as Josh Saunders for Nigel Bates' funeral. Josh was the son of Nigel's ex-wife Julie and appeared in 20 episodes in 1997.
After a long-running dementia storyline, Nigel, played by Paul Bradley, died in emotional scenes that aired on Wednesday (29 April). Walford will now come together to bid farewell to the beloved character, who first appeared in 1992 and left six years later. Nigel returned to E20 in 2024 and was soon diagnosed with dementia. His death followed a hospital stay for pneumonia.
Lee will return for the funeral alongside his on-screen step-sister Clare, played by Gemma Bissix, who returned earlier this year as part of the dementia storyline, and TV mum Julie Haye (Karen Henthorn).
He told The Sun: “It was quite surreal stepping back on to Albert Square after so many years as it's so familiar to so many of us. It was lovely to see my onscreen family again.”
Lee landed his initial EastEnders stint as a teenager in 1997 and joined S Club 7 shortly after. The group enjoyed huge success in the UK charts, scoring number ones with tracks including their debut single “Bring It All Back”, “Reach” and Children In Need single “Never Had A Dream Come True”. The group disbanded in 2003 after Paul Cattermole’s exit. They have since reunited on several occasions, most recently for a tribute tour following Cattermole’s death in 2023.
Lee has made multiple TV appearances over the years, popping up in Casualty in 2010 and featuring on shows like Celebrity Mastermind, Celebrity Juice and Loose Women. His most recent small-screen appearance was in last year’s Celebs Go Dating.
The singer last year opened up about suffering from crystal meth addiction in 2014. Lee told MailOnline his addiction struggle began when he was offered the Class A drug following his dad’s death. He recalled spending £250 a week on the substance, which he first smoked and later injected. “I didn’t even recognise myself at that time,” he said. “Sometimes, in the midst of one of the psychotic episodes where I’d be smashing my flat up with a hammer, I’d catch sight of myself in the mirror and say: ‘What the f***?’”
