EastEnders has welcomed back Pat Butcher as Nigel Bates’ dementia symptoms worsen, with Pam St Clement reprising her iconic role
EastEnders has unveiled the dramatic comeback of Pat Butcher as Nigel Bates grapples with escalating dementia symptoms.
As regular viewers of the BBC soap will be aware, Nigel (played by Paul Bradley) is dealing with a diagnosis of early-onset dementia, a key aspect of his return to the show for Christmas 2024.
The debilitating condition leads to confusion and memory loss for Nigel, causing him to conceal his diagnosis and struggle with its progression. On Monday (December 22), the residents of Walford began to embrace the festive season as Nigel’s film was screened at the community centre.
However, after overhearing his wife Julie (Karen Henthorn) and close friend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) arguing about how best to manage his deteriorating dementia, he seeks refuge in The Queen Vic.
Nigel begins to mix up past memories with the present. In his confused state, he is visited by familiar faces from Christmases past – Pat (played by Pam St Clement ).
As Nigel’s mind drifts back to 1990, Pat makes a return to The Queen Vic, where she once served as landlady alongside her husband, Frank (Mike Reid), reports OK!.
On Tuesday (December 23), Pat and her former step-son, Barry Evans (Shaun Williamson), step in to support her old friend Nigel as his dementia symptoms take a sudden turn for the worse, with both she and Barry attempting to help him. This marks the first sighting of Pat in Walford since her ghostly appearance in 2016.
When did Pat Butcher make her EastEnders
Pat, renowned for her bold statement earrings, made her debut in Walford in 1986 and swiftly won over the hearts of viewers.
In 1989, she married businessman Frank in a traditional East End celebration that drew all the locals, before the pair eventually became landlords of The Queen Vic.
Throughout her time on the Square, Pat captivated audiences with her romantic entanglements, four marriages, local feuds, and countless fiery confrontations with her nemesis-turned-best mate, Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor).
Yet on New Year’s Day 2012, the spirited leopard print-loving Walford resident passed away in the arms of her son David Wicks (Michael French).
Pat’s heartbreaking demise came after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. However, that wasn’t the final chapter for the legendary character.
In 2016, Pam returned to reprise her role for a fleeting appearance in Peggy Mitchell’s final and deeply moving episode.
She materialised as a spirit and shared one last heart-to-heart with her dearest friend, Peggy, before her passing.
Expressing her delight about returning to EastEnders, Pam St Clement revealed: “I was both surprised and excited to be asked back to tread the streets of Walford once again and to be involved in Nigel’s touching dementia storyline.
“It was lovely to be welcomed back by those with whom I had worked for so long. It was just like coming home.”
Why did Pam St Clement leave EastEnders?
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Despite captivating EastEnders viewers with her tragic on-screen demise, soap legend Pam never actually wanted her cherished character, Pat, to meet her end. In a 2015 interview with The Mirror, she confessed, “It was very, very difficult. I was saying goodbye to a character I’d inhabited for almost 26 years and, while I had chosen to leave EastEnders, I didn’t want Pat to die”.
She went on to say, “I was adamant there should be a chance for her to return and had been assured by the executive producer she wouldn’t be axed.”
Looking back on her exit, Pam recalled, “When I felt the time had come to hang up the earrings, I took Bryan Kirkwood, the then executive producer, out for dinner and broached the subject of leaving.”
She was firm in her request, stating, “One crucial thing I asked for was that Pat shouldn’t be killed off. Bryan’s response was unequivocal. He assured me that Pat wouldn’t be axed.”
Life after EastEnders for Pam St Clement
In 2015, Pam publicly disclosed for the first time that she had had an affair with a woman. Identifying as bisexual, Pam was previously married to a man named Andrew Gordon in the 1960s, but they later divorced.
In her autobiography The End of The Earring, Pam admitted that coming to terms with her bisexuality was like a “bombshell”. She also revealed having an affair with a woman during a trip to Australia.
Pam added: “That month in Sydney went all too quickly, and we were soon saying our farewells at the airport with promises of reunions back in the UK. I nearly missed the plane, I was so bereft at leaving.”
Eventually, Pam began a romantic relationship with a woman called Diana. However, in her memoir, she confessed that her inclination to “over-care” could occasionally “smother” her partnerships.
Speaking candidly to The Mirror in 2015, Pam revealed she’d had the occasional fling “but nothing meaningful”. Then she met Diana, who would become a significant figure in her world.
She explained: “I fell for an attractive woman who was intelligent, witty and fun to be with. Diana and I settled into a happy and stable relationship.
“Looking back, I wonder if I should have stayed on my own. I want to love and be loved, but I am fiercely independent.
“But this was a relationship I couldn’t resist. It was a new experience, exciting and different in every way. We had our own professions but made a home together.”
After her devastating EastEnders departure, Pam made appearances in three Casualty episodes during 2016, though aside from that, she has been relishing a quieter existence away from public attention.
Nevertheless, she did make a return to BBC One in February 2025 to mark EastEnders’ 40th anniversary milestone.
Having spent 13 years absent from Walford, Pam featured alongside Grant Mitchell star Ross Kemp in the documentary EastEnders: 40 Years of the Square.
Throughout the poignant hour-long programme, she spoke openly about her character whilst sharing memories with Ross during their journey on the number 38 bus.
They also took a trip down memory lane, revisiting scenes from a poignant 2016 episode where Pat made a ghostly return to comfort Peggy Mitchell, portrayed by Dame Barbara Windsor, in her final moments.
The duo watched clips featuring their dearly departed co-star, clearly touched by the nostalgic memories. A visibly emotional Pam confessed, “Well, I miss her”, before adding with heartfelt sincerity, “I mean, basically I miss her tremendously”, as she fought back tears.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer