EastEnders fans are hoping Debbie Bates will return to Walford in flashback scenes as Nigel's dementia storyline sees him revisit the past Nicola Duffett played Debbie Bates in EastEnders (Image: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

BBC soap EastEnders fans are yearning for the return of Debbie Bates three decades after her shocking demise.

In the 1990s, Debbie, portrayed by Nicola Duffett in the BBC soap, was the beloved spouse of Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley). Together, they raised their daughter, Clare (Gemma Bissix), forming a close-knit family.

However, after only two years in Walford, Debbie tragically lost her life in 1995 when she was struck by a car, leaving Nigel heartbroken.

Nonetheless, Nigel, now a widower, found love once more with Clare's teacher, Julie Haye (played by

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