EastEnders Debbie Bates star Nicola Duffett now as fans demand return after 30 years
EastEnders fans are calling for Debbie Bates’ return following Nigel Bates’ comeback and dementia storyline and here’s what actress Nicola Duffett has been doing since leaving the BBC soap 30 years ago
EastEnders viewers are calling for Debbie Bates to make a comeback to Walford three decades after her tragic death.
Yet after just two years in Walford, Debbie perished in 1995 after walking into the road and being struck by a passing vehicle, leaving Nigel heartbroken.
Nevertheless, bereaved Nigel discovered love once more with Clare’s teacher, Julie Haye (portrayed by Karen Henthorn), and the couple wed before departing for a fresh start in Scotland in 1998.
Over Christmas 2024, Nigel made a dramatic comeback to Walford and shortly revealed he had been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, reports OK!.
Next month, EastEnders will broadcast a special instalment as Nigel’s condition worsens and he revisits former times.
In poignant scenes, Nigel’s recollection and distorted reality will take him back to 1990, where he will encounter Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement) and Barry Evans (Shaun Williamson), and viewers are hoping to see his deceased wife, Debbie.
Taking to social media, one EastEnders enthusiast posted: “Nigel’s first wife Debbie needs to return for Christmas special”, whilst a second insisted: “Debbie and Clare should be back, resurrected for Nigel’s storyline #EastEnders @bbceastenders”.
“Did Pat and Nigel interact much or is it that Pam is still alive to return, why not Debbie and Claire #Eastenders @bbceastenders”, questioned another. Where is Nicola Duffett now?
Nicola, who shot to fame in 1992 with a supporting role in the Oscar-winning film Howards End and later as Debbie in EastEnders from 1993 to 1995, has had quite a journey.
After her two-year stint on the soap, Nicola, now 62, starred as Cat Matthews in Family Affairs from 1998 to 2005, living a life of luxury thanks to a substantial salary.
Three holidays a year, dining at posh restaurants, and shopping sprees at Harrods were all part of the norm until her work opportunities dwindled and her bank balance followed suit.
Family Affairs was cancelled by Channel 5 in 2005 after the show’s bosses felt it wasn’t attracting a large enough audience. The final episode aired in December of that year.
“I wish I had learned to save, but we actors and actresses just are not very business-minded”, she confessed to The Croydon Advertiser in 2009. “I just went into a bad place when they axed Family Affairs.”
Nicola detailed her transition from TV star to signing on at the Job Centre, saying, “I have gone from not caring about how much stuff costs to checking the prices of absolutely everything.
“But I love it – picking up a bargain – it is so much more satisfying than going out every night to posh restaurants and just paying the bill.” She was declared bankrupt in 2007.
Nicola’s acting career thankfully took a turn for the better, with roles such as Reet Ellison in Endeavour (2020), Amy Penketh in The Coroner (2016), Daisy Skelton in Waterloo Road (2013), and Eileen in Made In Dagenham, among others.
She also bagged the role of Lucie Fernsby on Coronation Street in 2020, appearing in four episodes. Most recently, she played Bernice in Murder, They Hope and Geraldine in the 2022 Amazon Prime series Agatha Raisin.
Could Nicola be set to return as Walford’s Debbie Bates one last time?