EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell dons a special costume next week, after Lexi recruits Billy to persuade her grandad to take on a role in Nigel Bates’ film! But will he agree to play the character for real?

As Nigel, Julie and Lexi prepare to audition their friends and neighbours for a film that Nigel has penned, it’s down to the Walford gang to prove their talents and demonstrate that they’re good enough for a starring role.

Priya, Elaine, Callum, Harvey and even Ian are all eager to land a part, but there’s one particular Albert Square resident that Lexi wants to see flex his acting chops…

“Lexi is so eager for Phil to step into character,” says our EastEnders insider. “It’s not hard to see why. Who wouldn’t want to see Phil Mitchell giving the performance of a lifetime?

“But Lexi is one wise little girl and decides to task Billy with doing the hard work, aka convincing Phil to go along with it. After all, Phil does say he’d do anything for his family…”

Later that day, Phil enters the No.55 living room wearing a floppy silver hairpiece as Lexi, Nigel and Billy watch on from the sofa with their scripts to hand.

As the trio work together on the film, can they convince Phil that he just might be the next George Clooney? Or will he ditch the wig and allow his more stage-struck neighbours take the lead?

The production of Nigel’s film will culminate in a special episode this Christmas, when his dementia symptoms intensify on the night of the community’s festive screening of the movie.

It’s an emotional night for Nigel, but as his fractured memories take him back to the 1990s, deceased Walford icons Pat and Barry Evans will return to The Vic to help him out – with Pam St Clement and Shaun Williamson reprising their roles for this episode.

On her sensational return, Pam said: “It was both surprised and excited to be asked back to tread the streets of Walford once again, and to be involved in Nigel’s touching dementia storyline.

“It was lovely to be welcomed back by those with whom I had worked for so long. It was just like coming home.”