EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell has tweaked his plan to go to Portugal with Nigel Bates amid his sister Sam’s lumpectomy. In recent scenes, Phil vowed to support Nigel through his dementia diagnosis, opposing the idea of having him move to a care home.

Despite telling Nigel’s wife, Julie, that he was on board with the relocation for his friend’s sake, Phil was secretly planning for the both of them to head to Portugal.

This followed the two pals reminiscing on the olden days, with Nigel asking Phil if they could go to the beach.

However, it looks like Phil’s plan will have to wait a little longer. In yesterday’s episode, Sam confirmed her lumpectomy would be on the day the best friend duo was meant to leave Walford behind.

In new scenes, Phil talked to Sam, encouraging her to think “positively” through her cancer diagnosis.

When she protested she would have to be on her own, Phil reassured her: “You ain’t going to be on your own. I’ve changed the flights.”

“You might be a pain in the backside, but you’re still my sister, aren’t you?” he continued.

Sam was grateful she would have Phil by her side, but gave him some home truths about his plan to take Nigel away.

“It ain’t right,” Sam said.

“Julie’s his wife. She’s given up nearly everything to care for him!” she insisted, reminding Phil that Julie would be selling their family house in Scotland to pay for Nigel’s care.

“You can’t take her husband abroad,” she finally said to no avail – Phil was adamant that sending Nigel to live in a care home would be like abandoning him.

“If you breathe a word of this to her, me and you are done,” he told his sister.

Ignoring Phil’s threats, Sam almost confessed to Julie once she saw her so concerned about leaving Nigel to head to Scotland. “The thought of anything happening to him while I’m away would just be…” Julie began.

She then asked Sam to “keep an eye on Phil” as he wouldn’t be able to “do it all on his own”.

“You are lucky, you know. I haven’t got any siblings. I haven’t got a big brother looking out for me,” Julie continued. “Just keep him close.”

Sam had a change of heart about revealing Phil’s true intentions, keeping quiet and wishing Julie safe travels.

“I’ll make sure that Phil does right by Nigel,” Sam finally said.

Will she convince Phil to speak with Julie?