EastEnders has announced that Karen Henthorn is reprising her role as Nigel's wife Julie Bates this summer - 27 years after she was last seen in Walford.
"Nigel (played by Paul Bradley) left Julie last year without explanation and returned to Walford, initially telling friends that they had separated," said the BBC soap.
"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."
Actress Henthorn was last seen in the BBC soap in 1998 when she and Nigel left Albert Square to start a new life in Scotland.
Her voice was heard on screen earlier this year when fans saw Nigel listen to a voicemail from Julie.
"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!" said Henthorn.
"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 plays Phil], who are such lovely actors, as Julie discovers Nigel's dementia diagnosis and why he chose to hide it from her."
EastEnders' executive producer Ben Wadey said: "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."
EastEnders airs on RTÉ One and BBC One Monday to Thursday.
