Linda’s attempts to defuse Phil and Julie’s bitter row failed spectacularly in tonight’s EastEnders (Tuesday, February 3), and with Phil set to turn up uninvited at tomorrow’s vow renewal, the drama in Walford is only just getting started.
Tensions have been sky high ever since Julie discovered Phil was planning to take Nigel to Portugal. Convinced Phil would whisk her husband away the second she wasn’t looking, Julie packed up and moved herself and Nigel into Peacock Palace.
But the move hasn’t been easy. Nigel has struggled without his familiar surroundings and without his oldest friend close by. Phil, meanwhile, has been missing Nigel badly, and his already sour mood has taken a noticeable dip, enough for Linda to start worrying.
Things escalated yesterday when Linda spotted bruises on Julie’s arms, prompting her to intervene and try to get the feuding pair talking again.
Phil was uninvited to the vow renewal
In tonight’s episode, Linda attempted to broker peace between Phil and Julie.
Julie opened up about why she had no choice but to move Nigel out of the Mitchell house. Linda was shocked by what she heard.
Phil insisted he genuinely believed some sunshine and a change of scenery would help his friend. But Julie wasn’t buying it. The conversation quickly descended into yet another argument, and Linda was forced to accept that her peace plan had failed.
Later, after another difficult moment between Julie and a confused Nigel, Linda stepped in again. Wanting to give Julie something positive to hold on to, she offered to organise their vow renewal.
Julie was unsure at first, but eventually agreed on one very clear condition. Phil was not to be invited.
EastEnders: Phil did the unthinkable
Back at home, Phil received a call from a care home confirming that a place had become available for Nigel. He agreed to let Julie know and planned to call them back the next morning, clearly finally believing this was the right step to get Nigel the care he needed.
But when Linda arrived and told him about the vow renewal, and made it clear he wasn’t welcome, Phil lost his temper.
Furious with Julie all over again, he screwed up the page of notes containing the care home details and threw it away, deliberately hiding the news from her.
More drama to come for Phil in EastEnders
Tomorrow’s episode sees the big day arrive, with Phil still keeping quiet about the care home place. With just 24 hours to accept it, he knows time is running out. But their fallout has left him saying nothing.
As the ceremony approaches, Nigel wanders over to Phil’s house and assumes he’s the best man, which only fuels Phil’s frustration. He agrees to take Nigel to the vow renewal and then leave.
But what will Julie do when she realises Phil has turned up anyway? And how long can his secret stay hidden?
What else happened in EastEnders tonight?
As well as Julie and Phil’s argument taking a shocking turn, Ross demanded answers from Vicki following her cheating bombshell.
She kept Zack’s name out of it, and eventually the pair kissed and made up. With the wedding back on, Vikci was thrilled. But Zack was heartbroken when Mark issued a chilling threat to stay away from his sister.
Elsewhere, Patrick made a big decision when he planned a visit to see Zoe in prison, and Bea landed Honey in huge trouble when they got drunk and sent a strongly worded email to Suki.
Read more: Mark Jr affair ‘sealed’ as fan theory ties his return to EastEnders flashforward