EastEnders fans have been left fearing beloved Nigel Bates is dead after he seemingly drowned in the bath amid a heartbreaking dementia battle.
The character - played by Paul Bradley - was a 1990s favourite on the BBC soap and returned to Albert Square in 2024.
Viewers have watched Nigel deteriorate due to dementia while being cared for by wife Julie (Karen Henthorn) and old friend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).
But after tonight's (February 4) episode, which is already on BBC iPlayer, fans are terrified that Nigel's days may already be numbered.
While having a bath and left unattended, he fell asleep and slipped underneath the water - leaving audience members concerned Nigel had drowned.
One viewer wrote: 'I really hope Nigel is ok after tonight's Duff Duff. We can't lose him yet and his scenes for tomorrow are embargoed.'
EastEnders fans have been left terrified for Nigel Bates' future after a tense cliffhanger in the latest episode.
Nigel, who is battling dementia, has been looked after by longtime friend Phil Mitchell since returning to Walford in 2024.
Viewers watched on as Nigel and wife Julie renewed their wedding vows in front of friends in Walford.
Another added: 'I knew something would happen to Nigel .. #EastEnders.'
While a third said: 'Did Nigel just... #EastEnders.'
It comes as Julie and Phil have been making arrangements for Nigel to go into a care home after his condition worsened.
Meanwhile, the episode also saw Nigel and Julie renew their wedding vows in front of friends in Walford.
Although Nigel at first struggled to say his vows, the couple got a magical moment with some help from Phil.
Fans feared the worst and took to X with their concerns.
Elsewhere, ahead of the BBC One airing at 7.30pm, the soap's X account shared a teaser—but viewers soon picked up on a glaring mistake.
The account penned: 'As Nigel and Julie get ready for their vowel renewal, Honey is trying to piece together exactly what happened last night in #EastEnders, tonight at 7:30pm on @BBCOne and on @BBCiPlayer.'
Noting the post said 'vowel' rather than 'vow', fans on the platform soon poked fun at this mistake.
One wrote: 'IT'S VOW. VOWEL IS SOMETHING ELSE.'
Another added: 'It's all very well renewing their vowels, but what about their consonants?'
A third simply said: '*VOW RENEWAL.'
A fourth remarked: 'I will take 2 vowels and 3 consonants', along with a GIF of Rachel Riley on Countdown.
A fifth commented: 'PROOF READING IS A THING.'
While a sixth concurred: 'That's 2 i's, 2 e's and a u then.'
Fans called out the spelling mistake in the comments section of the BBC post.
Just before Christmas 2025, viewers confessed they were left in a 'sobbing mess' following a special episode focused on Nigel's dementia.
After he overheard a conversation of Phil and Julie considering moving him to a care home, a distressed Nigel headed into the Queen Vic, with viewers then seeing him hallucinate late figures from his past.
Among them was Pat, with star Pam St Clement reprising her role 13 years after her character's death, and Barry, which saw Shaun Williamson return after a 21-year absence.
While Nigel grew increasingly confused, he also saw visions of his late wife Debbie Bates, and younger incarnations of both Phil and his brother Grant Mitchell.
As Phil discovered his friend in such an upset state, he finally realised he could no longer care for him, and in heartbreaking scenes, Nigel told his pal it was 'time to let him go'.
The special episode was praised by many viewers for its sensitive handling of Nigel's battle with dementia, with some also thrilled to see Barry and Pat back on screens after such a lengthy absence.
EastEnders airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.