In tonight’s episode, Nugget (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) faced a spate of nasty comments about his epilepsy from a bully, making fun of his recent seizure in McKlunky’s.
Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips)’s friend Jacob mocked Nugget for convulsing and losing bladder control, calling him “a joke”. Nugget walked away and his sister Avani (Aaliyah James) defended him.
Stigma and poor public attitudes are common issues that people with epilepsy face. Featuring epilepsy in soaps holds a lot of power in helping to bring the realities of living with a medical condition like that in front of broad audiences. It can help build more awareness and bring understanding to the general public.
EastEnders has recently helped start conversations around bullying, both on- and offline, that people with epilepsy can face, as well as the dos and don’ts of filming someone having a seizure. This is a prime example of the importance of cultural cornerstones like the UK’s soaps in helping to bring more awareness to misunderstood conditions like epilepsy.
We share seven more topics that Nugget’s storyline, alongside others in Coronation Street and Emmerdale, have helped to spotlight.
New diagnosis
We’ve watched Nugget from his first seizure to his diagnosis, seeing him come to terms with his diagnosis, get used to taking daily medication, and navigate social life with his condition.
Coming to terms with a new diagnosis of epilepsy can be a real challenge and change a person’s life and routines overnight. Epilepsy Action has more information for anyone newly diagnosed with epilepsy.
Driving regulations
Coronation Street’s David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) chose to get behind he wheel the day after a breakthrough seizure, featured on Corriedale, the crossover episode with Emmerdale, wanting to get to his pregnant wife Shona (Julia Goulding) who was going in for surgery.
She reprimands his actions, saying: “You could have killed someone!”
In 2021, Emmerdale’s Liv Dingle (Isobel Steele) also started having seizures. She hid these from her family and friends, but they were revealed by Paul Ashdale (Reece Dinsdale) when he realised that she was determined to continue with driving lessons.
We also see Nugget in EastEnders taking driving lessons when his seizures first start, which he has appeared to put on pause while he gets his epilepsy under control.
There is more information on driving and epilepsy on the Epilepsy Action website.
Seizure first aid
Both Coronation Street and EastEnders have shown good support from people during their characters’ seizures.
Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey) had a tonic-clonic seizure outside the Rovers Return. He was supported by Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), who cushions his head and covers him over with a jacket when he loses bladder control.
This is exactly what Nugget’s friend Denzel does for him at the takeaway, making sure he is safe during his seizure, staying with him afterwards and walking him home.
Being an ally and knowing how to help someone during a very vulnerable moment – and a medical emergency – can make all the difference to people with epilepsy. You can find out more on how to support someone during a tonic-clonic seizure on the Epilepsy Action website. There is also information on first aid for absence seizures, myoclonic seizures, atonic seizures and tonic seizures.
Epilepsy in prisons
In a dramatic episode, we see Brody get detained in the security training centre (STC). He has his epilepsy medication confiscated. Nobody hears when he asks for it and he ends up having a seizure.
Epilepsy Action PR and media manager, Chantal Spittles, said it can be “the sad reality for many, who’ve been treated really poorly by either the police or while in prison”.
This was a feature in Epilepsy Action’s 2024 manifesto, calling for more awareness around epilepsy among police and prison staff.
Taking epilepsy medication
Brody’s STC seizure highlighted that not taking epilepsy medication exactly as prescribed and at the right time can have a big effect on a person’s seizure control.
Similarly, recently we saw Ravi forget to pick up Nugget’s medication from the pharmacy. When he and Nugget went to pick up his prescription later, the pharmacist told them the medication is not in stock.
This is a real and important issue that people with epilepsy face. There have been reports of people dying from seizures after not being able to access their medication due to supply problems.
These storylines have helped highlight how important keeping up with medications is, as well as making sure you have your next prescription before you run out. In an emergency, people can request an emergency supply of their medications even without a prescription, if they encounter a problem.
Epilepsy Action has more information on epilepsy medications.
Different causes
Over the years, the different soaps have highlighted different causes of epilepsy, including other neurological conditions, such as Emmerdale’s Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb). She developed seizures and epilepsy in 2024, alongside mood changes and memory loss, and was later diagnosed with a brain tumour.
While the conditions are separate, up to two in three people who develop a brain tumour will experience at least one seizure as a result of it, according to The Brain Tumour Charity.
Nugget’s storyline suggests that traumatic brain injury could be the cause of his epilepsy, as he was accidentally assaulted by Ravi during a hallucination. This was also an epilepsy cause for Emmerdale vicar Ashley Thomas (John Middleton), who developed epilepsy in 2015 after he was knocked down by a car.
Other characters, like Corrie’s David and Brody seem to have had epilepsy for a long time without a revealed cause. It could be that the cause is simply unknown, or that they have a genetic cause for their condition.
Epilepsy Action has more information about epilepsy and its causes.
Effect on family and friends
Ashley’s epilepsy was really difficult on his wife Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy), who struggled with alcohol relapse.
The effect of Nugget’s diagnosis and experiences is clear to see on his dad Ravi and his mum Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) in EastEnders. Priya is concerned about how Nugget is taking his diagnosis, and whether he’s keeping up with his medication. Meanwhile, Ravi is ravaged by the guilt that Nugget’s epilepsy could be his fault, and his mental health is really suffering.
Epilepsy Action has many support services for people with epilepsy and loved ones that can be a lifeline during difficult times.
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