EastEnders’ fans are demanding awards for star Paul Bradley, as the show’s “most powerful episode ever” airs, complete with iconic returns and a heartbreaking future for Nigel Bates.

The episode airing on 23 December was long-awaited after first being teased weeks ago. Before it aired, fans knew it would cover the progression of Nigel’s (Paul Bradley) battle with dementia, and feature the return of three iconic characters – Pat Butcher, Barry Evans and his former wife Debbie Bates – who would all appear in the form of a hallucination. But despite the spoilers, viewers were still swept away by how sensitively the soap addressed Nigel’s illness.

In the episode, Nigel, who has wondered into the Vic after hearing his wife Julie and friend Phil Mitchell discussing care homes, starts to hallucinate the appearance of Pat, Barry and Debbie, along with a young Phil and Grant Mitchell. As he talks to them, he struggles to remember where and when he is. Eventually, he sees Julie and a present day Phil again, but does not recognise them.

After he becomes agitated, Phil, who had been against putting his friend in a care home, comes to the realisation that Nigel’s illness has progressed beyond what he can care for. In heartbreaking scenes, Phil and Nigel talk about their future, leading to a heartbreaking moment when Nigel finally tells Phil that it is “time to let me go”, agreeing a care home is the best solution.

“One of the most powerful episodes of Eastenders ever,” said one fan online. Another agreed, writing: “Nigel’s dementia storyline has been the one standout all these months and they’ve done it justice. The final scene on the bench was very emotional, like the end was slowly coming.”

A third wrote: “I’m absolutely sobbing that was incredibly powerful Ben [Wadey] knocked it out of the park with this one.” And a fourth said: “Pretty much a perfect episode. I was in tears throughout.”

Strong praise came from many fans who had personal experience of looking after people with dementia. One fan wrote that they worked as a paramedic and when people asked them what the most “heartbreaking” part of the job was, they always pointed to scenes like the one Nigel had in the pub, where he could not remember who his own wife was and threatened her with a barstool.

More fans felt that Paul Bradley and the whole show should be rewarded for his performance. One said: “Paul Bradley is coming for that Best Leading performer award at the Soap Awards next year and I won’t be disappointed. Tonight’s episode was stunning.”

A second said: “Eastenders tonight. Wow. That will win awards left, right and centre.” Another simply wrote over a picture of Paul: “BAFTA.”

With Nigel agreeing to go to a care home, other storylines are set to be front and centre for the Christmas episodes, such as Zoe’s stalker ordeal.