Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) will organise a search party in EastEnders this week as she realises friend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) has gone missing.
Phil’s struggle with his mental health began towards the end of last year, when he started to realise most of the Mitchell family he once had in Walford was no longer around.
As the loneliness consumed him, Phil isolated himself from everyone. Fortunately, he found a distraction at Christmas when pal Nigel (Paul Bradley) returned, but Phil’s problems have still been bubbling under the surface, no matter how much he tries to ignore them.
In upcoming episodes, Phil will snap at Sharon (Letitia Dean) after the subject of getting help via a doctor is brought up once more.
Later in the pub, as residents spend time discussing the past, Sharon can’t help worry about Phil. Back at Number 55, a broken Phil begins to hallucinate.
When Honey (Emma Barton) and Billy’s (Perry Fenwick) joint Sten-do arrives, Sharon struggles to enjoy herself – clearly her mind is on Phil.
Moments later, she realises Phil has gone missing. Sharon takes action by ordering a search party but while this happens, Phil is completely on his own, struggling to decipher reality as his mental health gets even worse.
With the likes of Sharon, Jay (Jamie Borthwick), Billy and Honey all searching for Phil, his depression continues to take hold, causing him to experience symptoms of psychosis in the form of hallucinations.
A past version of Peggy will be hallucinated by Phil (Picture: BBC)
They will depict scenes from the Mitchell family home back in 1985, sparking the return of Jaime Winstone, who will reprise her role as a younger version of Peggy again.
Back in reality, Jay tracks Phil down at home. When Sharon enters, Phil insists he’s absolutely fine and sends them away.
Phil is clearly struggling in a way he never has done before.
Perhaps brother Grant (Ross Kemp) can help?
