Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) secretly made a generous gesture to cousin Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) in Tuesday’s EastEnders as his mental health continues to spiral.
The Walford stalwart become increasingly isolated and depressed in recent months, following the breakdown of his marriage to Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) last year.
He has also had to contend with son Ben Mitchell’s (Max Bowden) incarceration in the US and sister Sam Mitchell’s (Kim Medcalf) deception and sudden departure – not to mention his ex-wife Sharon Watts’ (Letitia Dean) new relationship with long-lost cousin Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian).
Having already given away many of his businesses, the latest episode of the BBC soap saw Phil step in to help Billy and fiancée Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) with their wedding plans.
The pair are due to tie the knot for a second time last month after they got engaged following Honey’s efforts in the London Marathon last year.
With the big day around the corner, the pair sat down to chat through their wedding admin, but quickly realised Billy had made a maths error, leaving a big hole in their budget.
Overhearing their conversation in The Vic, Phil stepped in to save the day, enlisting Mo Harris (Laila Morse) to help him.
He gave Mo the keys to his house to bundle up some cash, instructing her to then slip it to Billy and persuade him to take it.
Coming up with the perfect cover story, Mo told Billy she’d recently seen his father and her former lover Stevie Mitchell (Alan Ford), who’d told her to give Billy the cash towards the wedding.
While Billy and Honey wondered if Stevie had acquired the money via legal means, they ultimately decided to keep it, not realising Phil was their real hero.
Phil’s mental health storyline is set to take centre stage as the soap builds towards its 40th anniversary next month.
It was recently confirmed he will make a suicide attempt in heartbreaking scenes.
It is thought will pave the way for the return of Phil’s brother Grant Mitchell, with Ross Kemp set to reprise his role.
Fans will also see their late mother Peggy making a return in hallucinations as Phil begins to suffer with psychosis.
Bosses announced we will see an event from 1985 through Phil’s eyes, as Jaime Winstone reprises her role as a young Peggy, having first played the iconic Walford matriarch – made famous by the late Barbara Windsor – in a flashback episode in 2023.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
