An iconic chapter has quietly come to an end in Albert Square as longtime EastEnders favourite Karen Henthorn bid an emotional farewell to the BBC soap almost three decades after first appearing as Julie Bates.
Thursday night’s episode saw Julie leave Walford for India following the heartbreaking death of her husband Nigel Bates, whose devastating early-onset dementia storyline recently left fans in tears.
In emotional scenes, Julie finally opened Nigel’s farewell letter and discovered he had left her his pension so she could fulfil her dream of travelling.
Nigel wrote: “It’s not to be used for bills. I want you to go to India and live for me.
“Thank you for being my wife. You are my world. Be happy. I love you always. Thank you for loving me for the rest of my life.”
The touching goodbye marked the end of Karen Henthorn’s latest stint on EastEnders, after she returned in July last year for Nigel’s emotional final storyline. Karen originally appeared on the soap between 1997 and 1998 before making her surprise comeback.
Following her final episode, EastEnders shared an emotional behind-the-scenes farewell video showing Karen on set beside a huge bouquet of flowers.
Holding back tears, the actress said: “It’s my last day and I’ve had the best time. The best 10 and a half months.”
She also paid tribute to the cast and crew, adding: “Whatever you do in life, it’s always about people and kindness.”
Karen then thanked loyal EastEnders viewers for supporting both her and the programme over the years.
She said: “Thanks for your love, your support and your commitment and dedication to the programme, which you love as much as I love.
“And I’m going to really miss you. So thanks everyone, take care of each other, loads and loads of love.”
The emotional clip also captured the moment Karen filmed her final scene before being applauded by the crew and co-stars, including Steve McFadden.
Executive Producer Ben Wadey gave a heartfelt speech praising Karen’s impact on the show since her return.
As Karen became emotional, he joked lovingly about her “constant waterworks” and “endless tears” before adding: “Your performance has really been amazing. Thank you for everything, you’ve been amazing.”
