INTRODUCTION
We watched as Trump was reinaugurated. Labour were back in control of Britain’s Government. The music charts were dominated by Sabrina Carpenter and Capaldi (both Lewis and Peter!) wowed at Glastonbury. Everything old was new again, as reboots and remakes turned up everywhere else: Snow White, Jurassic World, Captain America, Superman, Fantastic Four – yes, everything was new again this year.
On screen, EastEnders turned 40 with a whole week’s worth of entertainment, as stars past and present descended upon Elstree to celebrate, whether that be onscreen, like all the returnees in 2024, or interviewed for documentaries by Joe Swash and Ross Kemp.
Surely the Walford cast were the most dangerous gang he could ever meet?
Onscreen, we said goodbye to some absolute legends: Sonia. Bianca. Martin. And we said hello to the new gang: Nicola made more waves as she got used to the Mitchell lifestyle, whilst Joel put a sinister scowl in everyone’s direction! And Oscar… Well, let’s just say the casting directors on this show should be getting a raise!
Then the comebacks began. Like you would never believe. We thought we were lucky when, early in the year, Grant came home, but he was just the start! Zoe Slater, Julie Bates, Anthony Trueman, Max Branning – all characters who were central to the late Nineties and the early Noughties all returned to the homeland this year!
And then Christmas came. And three women from twenty years ago found themselves in the same room as each other, facing their shared history…
EVENTS
Suki and Eve: New Year Chaos!
For a start, what were they thinking? A New Year wedding spectacular in Walford? What could possibly go wrong? Bizarrely, nothing could — as Eve and Suki prepared for their big day. The police arrived, notifying them that there had been a Nish sighting, but the wedding prep continued unabated, angering Nish more, who — from his hiding place on George Street — was watching everything with increasing rage.
Nugget was his next chosen pawn, as Nish attempted to lure Eve into a trap with the intention of killing her on her hen night. When he collapsed, his terminal heart almost giving out, Nish decided to go out with a bang. He had Nugget fake his death, which of course convinced the Panesars that it was all over — and the wedding party could begin!
Descending on a plush country hotel, Walford watched as the pair wed. When retiring to their suite, Suki found Nish and his plan in action: he poisoned Eve and prepared to take Suki with him when Ravi entered the room.
Deliberately goading his son, Nish pushed too many buttons — and was pushed from the balcony, taking Suki with him. Suki would survive to be reunited with a cured Eve, but Nish finally got his comeuppance: the fall killed him, and he wouldn’t have to live with the fact that Suki had won their twisted game…
The Trials of Sonia Fowler
Poor Sonia had been left to rot in prison, pregnant and innocent, waiting for a trial date for Debbie’s murder. Reiss had organised a support group (Save Our Sonia!) and tried to organise a busy Albert Square to support his intended. But there was nothing but solid evidence against Sonia, and the only other person aware of the whole truth was Bianca — still locked up over Christmas and New Year’s in Reiss’s sound-proof lock up!
Desperate, hungry and starting to fear for her life, a plan formed in Bianca’s mind. Chained to a sofa and living on a diet of biscuits, sandwiches, and re-runs of game shows, Bianca hatched a plan — if she confessed to Debbie’s murder, they’d have to let Sonia go! Reiss took this on board and went ahead with the plan — risking being jailed himself by interrupting the court proceedings and intimidating witnesses!
When the CPS investigation into the taped confession started, and with no way of securing Sonia’s release in time, Reiss gave the recording to a member of the jury and fled — leaving Sonia not guilty of murder!
When Reiss realised that Bianca wouldn’t stay quiet, however, things took a sinister turn. He decided it wasn’t worth the risk — and Bianca was left to rot in the lock up while Reiss lived happily ever after on the Square. Unfortunately for Reiss, Sonia demanded to see her sister’s taped confession and naturally had some questions of her own regarding the dollhouse seen in the background of the video — which Reiss just happened to have brought through the front door for the nursery…
As soon as she had the chance, Sonia confronted Reiss, who quickly confessed not only to Debbie’s murder, but also Bianca’s! Sonia lost it, but Reiss gained the upper hand — until Bianca, who’d escaped due to an unlocked door, shattered one of Dot’s antique teapots across his head!
By the time the sisters returned with reinforcements in the form of Uncle Jack and Denise, Reiss had skedaddled — leaving questions in his wake, a terrified Sonia, and a completely traumatised Bianca, who had spent over two months as a prisoner!
Phil & Nigel: Personal Battles
Nigel Bates hadn’t been seen in Albert Square since 1998, so when he turned up dishevelled and homeless, the residents could be forgiven for not recognising him! He managed to kick Phil momentarily out of his loneliness, but it wasn’t to last — and Phil Mitchell began isolating himself from society even more, screaming at his loved ones to simply leave him alone.
Nigel also had his own problems: he shared with Yolande that he had been diagnosed with early onset dementia and had walked out on Julie to spare her the burden. Yolande urged him to tell Phil the truth, but the state of his friend demanded answers. When Phil nearly died falling into the Arches’ pit after a carbon monoxide suicide attempt, Nigel started thinking — and left suddenly. Phil, alone, started hallucinating vividly about his past…
1985: Phil Remembers
Phil’s hallucinations took him back to when he was 24, five years before the Mitchells had arrived on Albert Square. The episode reunited the cast of 2022’s Mitchell flashback episode and even used the show’s original credits!
In 1985, Eric Mitchell gathered his family and came home with the news that he was dying of cancer. As Phil hallucinated his younger self and the family coming to terms with this, his vision of his parents grew darker: he and Grant had once caught Eric about to commit suicide. Phil blamed his father for it all. His mother, Peggy — back in her 80s splendour — seemed to urge him to make a choice… and Phil made the decision to end his life.
Nigel returned and shook Phil out of his confusion. He had brought some unexpected help with him: brother Grant, home for the first time in nearly a decade!
Cindy: The Attacker Revealed!
Since Christmas, Cindy Beale had been walking around the Square with eyes on the back of her head and, when that failed, blamed everyone around her for the attack she’d suffered that night. First, she was convinced it was Lauren, who had seen Cindy and turned her over — but had also just left her there. Just in case, Peter burned her scarf that had his mother’s blood on it.
If it wasn’t Lauren, suspicion went to someone else when a brick came through the window! That one was courtesy of Gina, who had finally had enough of her mother’s lies. But she swore she didn’t attack her mum either — she was too busy spending the night with her sister’s boyfriend, Freddie Slater! And as for Anna, she had found the snow shovel and hidden it in the barrel store of the Vic, where it was subsequently stolen by Junior, who wanted to prove it wasn’t him!
Kathy lauded it over Cindy, resurrecting her long-unused ‘slapper’ nickname for her in public (again), and proudly declared that she would have finished her off (we believed her!). And Ian… well, Ian had a scheming look on his face the whole time. When it occurred to Cindy that her locket — complete with pictures of Peter and Lucy inside — had been taken by her attacker, she was one step closer to her answer.
The Day of the Wedding
After three weddings, only one of them actually successful, you might think that Billy and Honey Mitchell would go away to wed — or at least have a quiet one in an office somewhere. But nope. Honey was determined that everyone would remember her special day forever.
She wasn’t wrong.
With a barbecue set up and the marquee perfect in the Square, the stage was set. The ceremony went without a hitch — but around the happy couple, other people were falling apart…
Across the Square, Phil had finally come to his decision and, taking his gun, was preparing to take what he saw as his only way out. Fortunately for us, Cindy had swiped the gun in desperation, determined to get her hands on her locket. She even paid Priya to try and seduce Ian to find the missing treasure! When Ian caught her out, he cleared her bank accounts, and, on the day of the wedding, Cindy planned to gun her suspected attacker down!
Entering the Beale house, she found Ian with her locket. He tried to deflect, but Cindy saw through his ruses — it was Peter who had whacked her. However, the culprit turned out to be Kathy, spurred on after 30 years of hatred, who had also taken the locket, since it was Lucy’s. The quarrel spiralled out of control when Cindy fired the gun and shot Ian!
By the time the quarrel started again, Cindy, Ian, and Kathy were arguing on Bridge Street…
The Unwelcome Reception Guest
Leaving the reception, Bianca found herself clashing with old foe Grant. As she wandered back into No.34, she heard a thud in the kitchen — and found Reiss standing menacingly in the shadows. As he escaped, he raced to his car, determined to see Sonia or flee the Square.
Bianca screeched after him, shouting for anyone who could hear. Reiss’s path was blocked around Turpin Road, so he reversed — racing straight down Bridge Street…
Ian, outside the café, offered his ex a fresh start, money and comfort. But she wasn’t having that, and Cindy thrust him out into the road — and into the path of Reiss’s car. Reiss swerved, hit the barbecue set-up outside the Vic, and the Square went silent.
As George and Ian started moving people out of the way, the car burst into flames. Reiss disappeared. And George realised they were too late — the gas canisters exploded, taking the Vic with it, wedding party and all!
In the Rubble
As the smoke started to clear, and with the building falling down around them, the residents of Walford raced into action. Martin and Ravi, both inside, managed to find a way out for the majority of the guests, leaving only a few left inside.
Sonia and Lauren had snuck into the Vic kitchen and become trapped. And, of course, Sonia’s unborn daughter decided now was the perfect time to enter the world! As Lauren prepared to deliver the baby in one part of the damaged pub, Martin discovered Stacey trapped in the other. Reassuring Lily and Ruby, Martin stayed and cleared the way for Stacey — who clumsily told him how she really felt about him as the world literally crumbled around them!
Elsewhere, Sharon lay unconscious in the hallway — the same spot Keanu had died in. No one knew she was there. Grant, always Sharon’s hero, accompanied by a desperate Bianca, broke into the damaged building and split up — one looking for her sister, the other for his first love.
Bianca found Sonia and Lauren just as Reiss found her. As Sonia rejected Reiss, Bianca knocked him to one side, where he was almost crushed by debris. Shrugging off his lucky escape, the entire bathroom above decided that enough was enough — and crushed him!
Sonia struggled through her labour with Bianca as an unlikely midwife (“It’s only a noonie, Lauren!” — between gulpfuls of brandy), but luckily survived to give birth to little Julia.
Stacey and Martin: True Love
They had blown hot and cold every which way they could, but the moment Martin rediscovered Ruby and his son Roman, Stacey knew that there was no way back with her ex-husband. Roman, who suffered from hepatitis, needed a liver transplant, and despite initially not believing a word Ruby said, Martin decided to donate some of his organ to help his newfound son. He even decided that maybe he had gotten it wrong — and Ruby was the one for him.
When he ordered Ruby to leave the damaged pub to rescue Stacey, Martin broke her heart. Inside, Stacey and Martin finally confessed what everyone else had been telling them and declared their love for each other. Another example of their bad timing, it turned out — as the ceiling collapsed and a beam landed square on Martin’s legs!
While Martin and Stacey waited for the paramedics, he proposed — and she accepted. The paramedics didn’t look too happy though: it turned out the beam was keeping pressure on Martin, keeping his injuries from being life-threatening. Removing the beam would cause complications, and Stacey was told to prepare. As Sonia gave birth in one part of the Vic, Martin was cradled in Stacey’s arms as he suffered a cardiac arrest — and passed away.
Wake Up Call from Mum!
As the new baby born on the Square took her first breath, one of its originals was halfway to taking her last. Sharon lay cold and alone — and she felt herself going. Maybe she deserved it after all this. But there was a voice in the smoke.
As Sharon adjusted her eyes, she looked up from the floor and came face to face with Angie Watts — as if she had never been away.
Angie spoke about how much she missed her girl, but it wasn’t Sharon’s time yet. “Use that loud voice and shout,” the apparition urged. Sharon did just what Ang told her — and screamed. Loud enough for Grant to locate her and bring her to safety.
He definitely had some unresolved issues with the former Mrs. Mitchell…
Phil’s Life Line!
When Phil tracked Cindy down and reclaimed his gun, he went to the Arches and sealed himself in. When Linda went to check on her sponsor, she found No.55 empty — apart from letters to Phil’s nearest and dearest. Grabbing Sharon’s and reading it, Linda raced to the pub, grabbed Nigel and Grant, and sped to the Arches to stop Phil.
They found him unwilling to change his mind, and he fired the gun — but Phil had only had one bullet, and Cindy had already fired it. The barrel empty, the stage was set for a conversation between brothers. Grant couldn’t understand why his brother felt the way he did, and despite words from Nigel, he rushed off to help at the collapsing Vic.
It was Nigel admitting his dementia to Phil and begging him to accept help that finally had Phil taken into hospital — for a mental health assessment.
Farewell to Martin and Sonia
Martin’s untimely death left a weight of bereavement on Albert Square, as the entire community struggled to come to terms with what had happened. The Queen Vic rubble just stood there — a haunting reminder.
Stacey found herself detached from the world, prompting mass worry from Jean and Lily, who had to contend with Arthur, Hope, and Charli — not to mention Mo and Freddie! As chaos mounted at the Slaters, Bianca and Sonia were also on the verge of falling out — Son enraged at her sister talking to podcasts about their ordeal. The result? A truckload of inquisitive ‘tourists’ eager to hear all the gory details, led by an overenthusiastic Kim!
Sonia begged for clarity amongst the din, and daughter Bex granted her wish — arriving and promptly organising the funeral for Martin and reaching out to all involved. Of course, arguments between Ruby and Martin’s loved ones kicked off, but in the end, even Ruby made peace with Stacey and left peacefully — having changed little Roman’s surname to Fowler in tribute.
Lily, mourning her stepfather terribly, burned down the market stall in anger — prompting all-out war between Stacey and her daughter. In the end, Lily took Charli to Ryan’s for a bit, while Stacey took Arthur and Hope to Lynne’s. Even Jean did a sudden disappearing act, leaving poor Harvey not knowing whether he was coming, going, or had already been!
Finally, as it all became a bit too much for Sonia, she had a surprise visit from a man she’d never met: her long-lost father Terry Cant! Terry seemed keen to start afresh — even offering his daughter a new life abroad! Sonia, who was at her wits’ end with Bianca, decided to take her long-lost dad up on the offer, even asking advice from jailbird Rocky Cotton.
Of course, Carol never left a man for no reason — and it turned out that Terry was an abusive sort, only after Sonia for her newfound fame. He started calling her all the names under the sun.
Locking him in a garage on an alley in the Square, and having already received the tickets abroad, Sonia and Bianca took the initiative — getting in Terry’s boat as Bex drove the former Jacksons out of Walford for a new life abroad in Bali.
Truly the end of an era.
I’ll Be There For You
Phil, finally — having received treatment in a mental health facility — got the help he so desperately needed and brought the conversation of male mental health into every household in Britain. As famous actor Keith Allen guest-starred as Gaz, a fellow resident in the clinic, Phil learned to let go of his past and put the blame where it belonged: on the shoulders of his father and mother.
Their mistakes were not his. And he was finally free to move on.
Except, of course, while he’d been gone, there had been developments. Grant and Sharon had re-bonded somewhat over his rescue of her in the flames — and, whether she’d had a bump on the head or not, nothing could excuse her falling into bed with her ex-husband, Grant.
He wanted the night to become something more — but Sharon couldn’t do that to herself again. Wisely, she told Grant no.
Of course, Phil found out, and that demon reared its ugly truth again. But in the end, Grant made peace with his brother and Nigel and left the Square — hopefully taking some of his brother’s revelations to heart.
Sharon, however, had completely screwed up things with Teddy — leaving Nicola to move in for the kill…
Meanwhile, Nigel was having little moments on the Square with his diagnosis, and his illness was exposed when he confused little Hope with stepdaughter Clare. Phil decided to take on the role of carer for his old friend, but he underestimated the sheer amount of care Nigel would need — and frequently found himself at odds not only with his friends, but his relatives as well.
After a small fire caused Phil to burn himself, Jay took matters into his own hands and called the absent Julie back to Walford, where she learned the truth about her husband’s illness. She tried to take him home to Scotland — but rather than rock the boat, she decided to stay with Phil in Walford and care for Nigel with Phil, together.
The Return of the Prodigal Fowler
As Sharon reeled from losing Martin, Grant’s departure, and a bad break-up with Teddy, it gave her heart a smile to see sister Vicki — home after twenty years and looking splendid, but without her partner Spencer Moon in tow. Instead, she arrived with labourer Ross Marshall and his teenage son Joel — and was particularly cagey about how the new relationship had started.
Turned out she’d started the affair. And once that was out, Sharon — needing a break — flew to join a distraught Michelle in Australia, leaving Zack in charge of the newly returned Fowler.
Within days of her arrival, however, it became clear that the Marshalls were running from a large debt — courtesy of teenage son Joel. The answer to that mystery would come, but for now, Vicki scrambled around Albert Square, tapping family members like Ian and Kathy for cash to stay where she, at least, felt she belonged.
But Joel was trouble with a capital T. And as soon as he started guiding Tommy Moon into more adult interests and role models, the stage was set for a massive blow-out…
A Parent’s Love
Zack Hudson may have messed up his chance with Whitney, but he was determined to be a good dad to little Dolly from a distance. This meant driving to Whitney — which must have required at least a basic knowledge of maths. And it’s precisely this that Nicola Mitchell should have counted on.
Since she arrived on the Square, it had become more than clear that Nicola and Zack had history before Walford. More than that — if Zack’s dates were right, there was a lot more to talk about! After an accident left Barney Mitchell in hospital, his blood type was overheard by Zack — and alarm bells started ringing when he realised that Teddy couldn’t be the boy’s dad. Those maths skills came in handy suddenly, as Zack did his working’s out and reached the correct conclusion — one Nicola couldn’t even deny: he was Barney’s dad.
This was not Nicola’s only concern, of course, at a time when she should have been celebrating defeating Sharon and reclaiming her place as head of the family. She had secured the club and her place in her boys’ affections — and now Teddy was gaga too. But there were skeletons in her closet. Literally.
It turned out she had been responsible for the death of son Harry’s girlfriend Shireen — who had come too close to her daddy secret. Shireen had been killed and buried in the scuffle. Worse still, the police started closing in on the body, and Nicola was forced to attempt moving it. She was almost caught in the act. She evaded justice — only just — when she played an accomplice for a fool, but the police kept an eye on her already dodgy dealings.
When the body was found, it transpired Shireen had been pregnant with Harry’s baby, which threw the young Mitchell into a drinks and drugs binge that only ended when Barney begged him to stop. And that was only the start.
Determined to take Barney away, Zack prepared to tell the boy who he was and flee. But Harry, enraged and in a state, took off after Zack — and they ended up left for dead in a river. Zack was thought dead for a time, prompting Vicki to spill the beans to a stunned Barney — who was more stunned minutes later when Zack walked through the door alive!
And so began a very tenuous truce in the Mitchell household: with Barney negotiating between his two dads, Teddy and Zack, and Harry and Nicola playing happy families — while she schemed, he plotted revenge, and the two parents weren’t even on speaking terms.
Merry Half-Christmas indeed…
Bernadette’s Last Demand!
Even though Nish Panesar was dead and buried — universally unmourned — he had one final trick up his sleeve for Suki, who might have actually thought she was free this time. His ace in the hole? One Bernadette “Bernie” Taylor. And this would prove just the start of the family’s woes as the year went on.
Bernie had watched the Six rebuild their lives following the murder of her brother, Keanu. She’d seen Linda recover, Denise conquer her demons, and — perhaps worst of all — seen Suki all loved-up. For them to face no consequences of their actions irritated Bernie. And she had no idea how easily Nish would fold her into his plans.
He arranged for his will reading to be attended by the family — and by Bernadette – a curious choice that rattled Suki. After all, Bernie was the only person left who could unravel the Six Conspiracy.
To punish his family, Nish left all his money and businesses to his grandchildren, teenagers Avani and Nugget, who promptly declared themselves heirs to the Panesar Empire — taking over the Minute Mart. Bernie was chosen to be in charge of the finances until the children turned 18. And there was nothing Suki, Ravi, or Priya could do about it legally.
Bernie secretly began squirrelling thousands of pounds from under the kids’ noses. The only person who noticed? Vicki Fowler — apparently Walford’s resident accountant. Vicki knew how to cook the books, and spotted the maths wasn’t adding up. Approaching Bernie, she tried to get in on the deal — but was thrown under the bus by the departing Taylor.
As Felix and Bernadette headed out of Walford with their loot, Ravi in hot pursuit, it was the other women of the Six who urged Suki to let Bernadette go — so that the Square, and more importantly the Taylors, could move on.
Avani’s Spiral
It’s no wonder Avani and Nugget didn’t notice the problems — even though they weren’t looking.
Joel Marshall, new to the Square and clearly a bad influence, had befriended young Tommy Moon. And it soon became clear that Joel was interested in older pursuits he wasn’t prepared for. He treated women as objects — things to be used and abused — and it transpired that this was why Ross had fled Australia with his son.
Joel, callously, then tricked Avani into bed and filmed the whole thing without her knowledge.
Avani spiralled after Joel’s treatment of her — used as a notch on his bedpost with his schoolmates. In an urge to block it out, she and Lily started smoking weed. But in a mix-up, they were arrested when a dealer left them looking guilty.
In the station, officers couldn’t get hold of Avani’s legal guardians, so conducted her strip search alone, with her permission and an adult present. There was also a fair mix of racism hinted at by one officer — and the scene was unflinchingly uncomfortable.
As Avani tried to get over the violation and pretend nothing had happened, she eventually crumbled — leaving local copper Jack Branning, already uneasy with Ravi due to his near-affair with wife Denise (not to mention his drug and dodgy dealings), straight in Ravi’s sights.
After getting over Joel and his treatment — and with her friends by her side — Avani was stunned when she discovered she was pregnant in the summer.
As Suki dealt with one issue after another, it was a good thing she had co-conspirators around to talk to. Those connections would reaffirm their loyalty to each other for life.
Kathy, Cindy, and the Fall of Peace
Kathy had warned Vicki from messing with the Panesars, but as part of the Six, had also warned Suki about Bernadette’s thieving. But the Beale family also had their share of issues after cousin Martin’s death — starting with Kathy.
After the Slater family had unintentionally left Harvey Monroe in their grieving wake, he found himself more and more attracted to Kathy Beale, who found herself falling in love. A clandestine affair began, with the two planning to tell Jean and start afresh together.
Meanwhile, less loved-up but still as volatile, Peter and Lauren awaited the birth of their baby by celebrating and getting engaged. A long pregnancy and drug treatment had shattered Lauren, but things finally seemed on the up — especially when Sonia left her Dot’s house as one of the grandchildren still living on the Square. Peter and Lauren soon moved in and began planning their engagement do — which was interrupted by a returning Cindy, determined to let the world know that Kathy had attacked her at Christmas!
Even once that was out, Kathy still came out on top – although Cindy took the Albert off her – as nothing could possibly top Cindy’s treatment of the clan over the last year. But Lauren soon found herself a target, as Cindy watched her every move, reporting every tiny discretion to Peter, which fanned the flames of disruption behind closed doors. Things even went as far as Peter demanding custody at one point.
Nevertheless, there was happiness — and much rejoicing — when little Jimmy, named after great-grandad Jim, arrived.
It was not to last.
Lauren found herself panicking a few weeks after coming home when Jimmy didn’t seem to react to her in a normal way. It turned out Jimmy had a severe visual impairment and would grow up virtually blind. Peter was enraged, blaming Lauren’s addictions and conveniently forgetting his own addiction issues of the past. However, when the doctors confirmed that the condition was a natural mutation, he softened.
Lauren made him fight for her — she wouldn’t put up with more nastiness from Peter. They were endgame.
Unfortunately, endgame turned out to have extra company. Lauren’s brother Oscar, calling straight from juvenile detention, needed a place to crash and soon arrived on the Square with a fistful of charm and cockiness.
As his uncle Jack told him, “With a mini bisexual Max Branning on the loose, no one is safe.”
Grief, Gangs, and a Bus-Stop Wedding
Poor Jean Slater didn’t see any of it coming. At the start of the year, in the midst of all the chaos, Jean found herself the victim of a scam — losing her savings in one fell swoop. Twice. Her luck couldn’t get much worse, but then the explosion happened, Martin died, and the family disintegrated.
Stacey, Lily, and Jean all took time out from the Square, but Jean didn’t notice Harvey throughout the planning, and couldn’t see his attempts at aid. Feeling neglected, he ran into the arms of Kathy. When Cindy — bent on revenge and craving acceptance — saw Kathy and Harvey all loved up, she stepped her game up, recording them and announcing their affair to a packed Queen Vic. The pair took on the angry mob, but prevailed, leaving poor Jean feeling lost and unsupported, acting out and snapping at her family with fury.
This stress spilled out onto everyone — including Kat Slater. Separated and divorced from Phil, and struggling with Tommy’s rising temper, it all came to a head when he hit his mother and then caused bruising on his younger brothers. Social services stepped in, and Tommy was taken into foster care — thankfully, only next door. His behaviour worsened, enticed by his new friend Joel’s influence — and he even found himself covering for Joel after he assaulted a woman on the tube. Tommy agreed this was too much and stepped back, but Joel wasn’t finished yet…
Kat and Alfie got closer as they tried to corral their wayward son. Soon, the pair were blissfully back together — Alfie cancer-free following treatment — and even starting a new limo business with Harvey and Kathy. This did not impress Jean in the slightest, but Kat persisted. They even got married out of the deal — in a makeshift ceremony on a double-decker bus outside the Vic. Third time lucky and third time happy, right?
Wrong!
The week after the wedding, Alfie received a call from Stacey — still off the Square. Racing to her aid, he was astounded to find Zoe Slater, twenty years since anyone last saw her, in London — a mess and in dire need of money to escape some gangsters she owed. Although it seemed not to be that serious a situation, Alfie agreed to help. But the thought of seeing her mother again terrified Zoe, and she fled back into the night. Alfie followed her to Spain to find her, needing extra cash to track Zoe down before she disappeared forever.
Stacey had the solution. She returned to the Square while Alfie soaked up the Spanish sun, trying desperately to hide his location — and what he was doing — from the astute Kathleen. When Martin’s life insurance landed a whop-load of cash on her lap, Stacey automatically went to help her nearest and dearest. She was planning to give the money to Kat — but then Alfie warned her that this was their last chance to help Zoe.
Perhaps wisely, or unwisely, Stacey gave the money to Kat — who used it to buy the Vic from Linda. Now Kat was restored as the Queen of the Vic, whilst Linda could move on. And when he returned, Alfie Moon would have lots of explaining to do…
Chips off the old block!
Last seen on the Square as a child, Oscar Branning, under the care of his stressed-out mum Tanya, had spent some time in juvie due to his unsavoury associates – whom he had grassed on – and came to the Square desperate for somewhere to stay. Mischievous, and with a glint in his eye you couldn’t help but smile at, Oscar soon charmed his way into the Beale-Branning mix and played a blinder when he helped Peter surprise Lauren with a wedding spectacular in the Vic!
Oscar also took to hanging around with newcomer Jasmine Fisher. Oscar had an eye for anybody he took a liking to – of either sex – but Jasmine captured his heart and he was soon devoted to her every word. Even when she did start acting suspicious, pushing Cindy down the Albert steps when she pushed for background… Could she be a Ford, watching Cindy from afar…?
Trueman Wedding Chaos!
Patrick and Yolande’s second wedding was going smoothly so far. The planning had all been done, but Yolande grew concerned about Patrick’s frequent visits to the Bookies – which led to her calling off the wedding! Patrick and Howie had a substantial win – and hid it from the family. Oscar, needing cash to get away from his dodgy mates, staged a burglary – and hurt Patrick in the process.
Howie discovered the truth, but, rather than turn Oscar over to the cops, like a sensible person, he blackmailed the Brannings, pocketed the cash and began stealing from his packages as a postie – in a bid to keep Kim in the lifestyle she’d become accustomed to! By the end of August, there was one more person watching his every move: the returning Anthony Trueman, who seemed rather tense about the topic of his wife Sophie.
Luckily, Oscar made amends by organising the wedding for the Trueman’s, who were married in style. Unfortunately, it would be the only bright spark for the family for a while…
Harry and Kojo: Prisoners!
Harry and Kojo’s bromance developed nicely as the pair worked together in the Arches. But when Harry’s drug dealing for Ravi was discovered by Kojo, he did the thing he thought was right and flushed the stash – costing Ravi a fortune. Ravi began blackmailing Harry to deal from the flat he shared with Kojo, sending henchman Okie to keep Kojo on side. From there, the situation got worse. Kojo was used as a courier against his will, Harry was imprisoned in the flat and force-fed drugs, and Okie made a move on Harry’s girlfriend Gina. Kojo eventually got the pair out – but Harry stabbed Okie in the process…
Zoe Returns!
Alfie returned home, admitting to his wife why he had vanished in the first place and that he had no clue where the errant Zoe had fled to. Fortunately, at least one Slater had good detective skills. Hearing a message on his dad’s phone, Tommy left the Square on a mission as Kat and Alfie worried about their missing son.
It was Tommy who brought Zoe Slater home to the Square in September, in the pouring rain, staring at her mother in shock. Kat was delighted and, rather foolishly perhaps, thought life would suddenly be rosy between them. But a lot had happened to Zoe since she had fled Albert Square in 2005. While explaining in the Square to Kat, however, a shot rang out, leaving Zoe bleeding in the street.
Ravi, Jack and the Gun…
The gun had been fired by Jack Branning while in a scuffle with Ravi Gulati, never a pair that needed much of an excuse to fight. While Zoe was rushed to hospital, the pair covered their tracks, even working together for a while to keep the peace. But it was not to last. Ravi got deeper and deeper, and when he tried to escape his drug dealing bosses, they weren’t keen on giving him his P45 as an answer. By the end of it, to keep himself out of Dodge and keep his family safe, Ravi made the decision to become a police informant… a very dangerous game to play in Walford…
Where Had Zoe Been?
While Zoe stayed in hospital recovering, her past after she fled the Square started to become known. In a flashback episode, we saw Zoe in 2006 – giving birth to twins in a London hospital. The babies had complications during delivery and the little girl stopped breathing. As far as Zoe knew, the daughter had died and she abandoned the son, terrified of the idea of raising a child with her mental health. She fled, unaware that both children had survived and leaving only a pink Ibiza keyring as a clue to her existence.
We then saw Zoe in 2024, again in London, where she encountered a handsome stranger in a bar. His name: Max Branning! The pair formed a genuine bond and even looked serious – and he helped her track down info on her abandoned son.
Unfortunately, her only lead, Greg Dolan, turned out to be a lecherous attempted rapist and Zoe smacked him around the head with a heavy object (clearly her go-to super power!) and fled, leaving Max alone and disappearing. Until now. Max gave her phone a ring, discovering where she was, and it was only a matter of time before Max followed his latest Slater lady home…
Doing it for the Kids!
Teddy and Nicola Mitchell were often at complete odds about everything – except their sons! Determined to protect Harry from the law, Teddy took the rap for Okie’s stabbing and was sentenced to life in prison. Nicola was devastated – but had more to deal with. Harry hit the self-destruct button, overdosing more than once and scaring Nicola out of her wits. Thankfully, after support from Gina, Kojo and George, Harry headed for rehab.
That left Barney, who was so traumatised by the whole thing that he decided the best thing for him to do was to move out and move into dad Zack’s place – much to Nicola’s eternal irritation. But she had other things on her mind. A brief relationship with George Knight had left her pregnant. Luckily for her, George was keen on at least trying to see where things went – despite Teddy warning brother Billy that Nicola could not be trusted, under any circumstances…
Zoe’s Nightmare!
With Zoe home, Kat Moon threw herself into bringing her children together, hoping her life would calm down somewhat. But Kat, after all these years, should have known better. Zoe was determined to find her abandoned son and, when Sharon had it out with her on a brief visit to Walford in October, Zoe lied and told the world that the late Dennis Rickman was her babies’ father!
Determined to have a piece of Dennis back, Sharon even handed over funds for the PI to find the boy. But when the truth came out, Sharon withdrew her offer, stayed away from the Square for the rest of the year, leaving Zoe to keep the father’s identity a secret (for now) and Zack to keep an eye on a volatile Vicki who generally took to walking around the Square, itching to punch Zoe in the face.
Zoe’s mind was taken off everything for a brief moment in the autumn when Max Branning followed her home to Walford. Of course, this was Max and, five minutes after seeing Stacey, he was declaring his love for her, again! Stacey, wisely, told him that she was over him and left the Square to live abroad with brother Sean, leaving Lily behind to watch a devastated Jean. Max soon shuffled off again, with even his children making it clear he wasn’t welcome. But he’d be back…
As for Zoe, she needed help. She faked someone stalking her, but had a shock when it became real and it appeared someone was genuinely out to kill her. Tracking down the man she attacked with Stacey got her into further trouble when he came after her, but he he became the perfect scapegoat for Jack and Ravi for the shooting, leaving them off the hook.
Eventually, Zoe started accusing everyone: Tommy, Jean, Anthony… By the end of the year, when a further threat inside a Christmas Card promised confrontation on Christmas Day, Zoe panicked and moved out, first with Anthony, but she got spooked there – it turned out his ex-wife had a restraining order against him – and he took to following Zoe around obsessively! Then, when she moved in with Lauren, her room was torched in an arson attack!
Oscar saved her from that one – and brought his dad Max home to Walford to reignite his relationships with his family. An ill Jean confessed to some of the threats, but there was indeed another stalker out there, someone much closer to home…
Vicki: Attacked!
While one child was being stalked, Tommy was being groomed by Joel Marshall into a world of misogyny and abuse. Joel Marshall had followed an influencer online which had a direct result on his treatment of women. He treated them as playthings and beneath him, and frequently rattled Amy Mitchell in school, especially after his treatment of Avani. No matter what his father Ross did, and he lost his temper more than once, Joel had no respect, believing his father to be Vicki’s doormat and resenting all women as a result. He even had the nerve to insult Kat and Stacey in the Vic!
After a tense situation after school resulted in blows between Amy and Joel, the topic of consent was raised amongst the adults of Albert Square. The generational differences apparent, Vicki ordered Ross away from Joel when he leaked images of Stacey online – purely to stop more violence. But Vicki had underestimated Joel’s anger and he viciously attacked his step-mum, filming the whole thing and then running to Tommy for hiding. Tommy gave him up, knowing the right thing to do and Joel was arrested. He intended to plead not guilty though, leaving Vicki in a state of constant nerves, her relationship with Ross in tatters and comforted by Sharon’s brother Zack… which seemed to be getting rather more complicated when feelings started developing…
The Downfall of Anthony Trueman
Anthony Trueman hadn’t been in Walford regularly for over twenty years so, when he returned, the local doctor was welcomed with open arms by old friends and family alike! Well, mostly. Anthony already harboured suspicions about Howie Danes and they were confirmed when Penny Branning confided in her doctor that a ring her mum had posted to her had gone missing during delivery. Anthony spotted the ring on Kim’s finger when Howie proposed and confronted him about it – only to have his restraining order against him thrown in his face. This ruined his rekindling of his relationship with Zoe, and Anthony, angry and jealous, told the Fox-Trueman clan the facts at an engagement drink! Howie was out, Kim was a mess and Anthony was left isolated, arguing with his family for revealing one truth, while hiding another.
Growing more and more obsessed with Zoe, he looked into her medical history, curious about her missing children. Adding the dates up, and possibly deluding himself, Anthony realised there was a possibility the babies were his and he told Kat the children were dead in an effort to find them first, believing Zoe to be an unfit mother. He even told the whole pub on Christmas Day exactly what he thought of his ex. When he snuck upstairs to confront Zoe, he lost his temper, she pushed him and he throttled her unconscious! When Kat roused Zoe minutes later, Anthony Trueman was dead beside her. What had happened to Anthony?
Nigel’s Last Christmas?
Throughout the year, Nigel Bates’s dementia worsened, much to the sorrow of wife Julie and carer Phil. As the situation got worse, first an incident with dead chickens and then secondly with an almost-deadly car accident, Julie seriously started to consider residential care for her husband. But Phil was adamant that Nigel would be staying with him until the end, no matter what. To keep things calm in the Mitchell house, Lexi decided to take Nigel’s old film script, Santa Claws, and remake it for the residents of Walford and for Nigel to have his moment in the spotlight! Even Phil agreed to play a nasty old man – and was annoyed when his one scene was cut by his thriving director granddaughter!
Unfortunately, the back and forth of filming the movie around the Square was rather chaotic and, despite the volunteering of many of the Square residents, Nigel became easily confused. When Sam Mitchell returned in October, she briefly tried using his failing memory to secure money from her brother’s safe, but even she didn’t have the heart to treat an old friend that way. No, Sam was more interested in making peace with son Ricky and her brother – especially when she revealed that she had found a lump in her breast. Terrified of dying, just like her mum, Sam was glad when Phil decided to leave the past behind, mostly, and welcomed her home to help her fight.
But in some confusion over Sam’s identity (Nigel thought she was Clare), Nigel lashed out and struck Julie. When he realised this, in the middle of making his speech at the showing of his film, Nigel lost his cool and stormed out – walking across the Square in a daze. He found himself in the Queen Vic… in times gone by.
Back to the Nineties!
One of the best instalments in the show’s history hit when Nigel walked into the Queen Victoria Public House – and found himself face-to-face with the long-dead Pat Evans! And she wasn’t alone. Joining the festive celebrations in the decked out pub were the younger Phil and Grant, up to no good as usual, and Barry Evans, knocking out ‘Lonely This Christmas’ on the karaoke to impress the presumably non-psycho women in the crowd.
As Nigel’s chat continued, it became clear he was agitated about a missing present – which he thought was for the late Debbie and not Julie. Indeed, when Nigel heard familiar music on the pub’s jukebox, he turned to find Debbie, as if she had never died and had lived on with him. She danced with him and reassured him and Nigel woke up – back in Julie’s arms and relieved to know he had remembered his gift. When Julie realised he had had it personalised – with her name and not Debbie’s – she was delighted, even more so when he proposed a renewal of their wedding vows on Christmas Day.
The Witch’s Familiar
On Christmas Eve, at a time when children were settling for Santa and parents were prepping presents, Zoe received an unexpected Christmas card: this one claimed to be from her son and inside, as proof, was the Ibiza keyring she had left at the hospital nearly 20 years ago! The note claimed that her boy would be coming to Walford, the Vic in particular, the next day, which was fitting as Kat and Alfie had pretty much invited the entire Square to attend Christmas dinner in the pub!
As carol singers bustled around the Square, new girl Jasmine Fisher, cleared of being a Ford and not after Cindy as thought, watched the crowd. Then as she walked away, she got into the passenger side of a car parked discreetly in a Walford alley.
She told her companion that Zoe didn’t deserve this: the fire, the slanderous graffiti, the lies in the card. Her companion simply told her that Christmas would be her time for revenge on Zoe, as she deserved it, not just for abandoning her twins, but also for crossing her… Yes, Chrissie Watts was back in Walford and was behind Zoe’s stalker horror!
When Zoe came downstairs Christmas Night in the Vic, she and Kat came face to face with Chrissie, dolled up like a Queen and sarcastically brushing their past aside. She suggested a drink to calm her nerves, and then, from the shadows, Jasmine walked forward. One look in her eyes told Zoe what she needed to know: not only was her daughter alive, but she’d been right in front of her for months!
But Jasmine had been brainwashed by Chrissie. Having lost a child in prison, Chrissie was aghast that Zoe could even contemplate starting afresh, after everything she had done to wreck Chrissie’s life! Anxious to empty the pub (Anthony was still dead on the floor upstairs!), Kat tried to hurry Chrissie, but she had help.
Enter Sam, who had watched Chrissie arrive from a distance. The three women, back in the room where Den was killed, twenty years on. Except Chrissie felt she was owed more. Sam and Zoe were united this time however, and saw Chrissie off, lost after Jasmine fled the pub in anger. Sam told her old enemy that she could change, but Chrissie just shrugged her off: as far as she was concerned, she was perfect the way she was!
With Chrissie disappearing, Zoe and Jasmine had a brief conversation and made their peace. But Chrissie had threatened Jasmine with death if her appearance on the Square was even whispered about, and Kat, having no recourse, watched as Zoe called the law, was arrested and promptly charged with Anthony’s murder!
However, Kat had one ally as the Truemans descended on her for answers: Jasmine. And she was determined to prove that Chrissie Watts had just framed Zoe for another murder…
Max Branning: Making Amends
Max’s family may have given him short thrift when they saw him in September, but at least Lauren and Oscar were happy to see him when he returned in December. Lauren had recently been approached by a ‘doctor’ claiming to specialise in surgery that could help restore some of little Jimmy’s vision – and lost her well-earned charity funds raised for his condition in a scam! Ian graciously helped her cover up her mistake, but Max got the wrong idea about their closeness and accused Ian of sleeping with his daughter!
On the other side of things, Oscar was delighted to have his father back in his life. Until the rest of the Square took priority first! Yes, Max had better things to do than spend quality time with his son – and it wasn’t all his fault. Days after Max’s return, Linda Carter made an unexpected and early return home from her world cruise – to find her mother prancing around the Square with dancers and birds opening her new ’boutique hotel!’ Having left the Vic to get away from booze, Linda had returned to find a bar in her new lounge and a mini bar in all serviceable rooms! And one of the guests was Max Branning!
Terrified her secret would be revealed and she would lose control of the situation, Linda bravely told Max that Annie was his – after all, he seemed so determined to make amends with Lauren and Oscar. Naturally, Max took this a step too far, telling the little girl about his identity as her father and causing Linda to hit the roof. But by New Years, she had at least let him talk to Annie by himself and make tentative steps with his newfound daughter. Unfortunately for Max though, a drunk and upset Oscar spilt the beans about Annie’s father being public knowledge for years and Max lost his cool, battering brother Jack at the Beale/Branning Christmas lunch, not just for the lying, but also for his bedding of Stacey!
Thrown out into the night, Max found solace with a blonde stranger in an empty bar. The pair got on like a house on fire. Perfect for each other in every way.
The problem? The blonde was Cindy Beale – who blamed Max for the death of son Steven – which she didn’t discover until she got to little Jimmy’s Christening font a few days later…
The Other Stuff
Unable to trust George, Elaine has a one-night stand! The marriage soon ends and George moves in with brother Kojo… Elaine works with frenemy Cindy at the under-new-management Albert. She then opens the ’boutique hotel’ – the Peacock Palace – in No.5! Felix and Johnny Carter seem to make a go of things – until Felix learns the truth about Keanu! Johnny then begins an affair with married Callum! When attending his father’s funeral, Callum tells Ben the truth and they split! Jay leaves the Square to care for his grandad Bert… Avani decides on an abortion and, eventually, Suki and Eve press ahead with their adoption plans – despite interference from Eve’s mother Norma… Anna Knight and Freddie Slater finally get back together and leave the Square!
ARRIVALS
Fowler
e030
Marshall
e052
Marshall
e052
Cant
e060
Beale
e073
“Okie”
Okyere
e108
e152
Walton
e169
Unwin
e176
Fisher
e188
RETURNS
Bates
e003, e113
Fowler
e024
Fowler
e024
Hobbs
e025
“Minty”
Peterson
e025
Mitchell
e025
Mitchell
e025
Carter
e026, e200
Mitchell
e026, e195
Mitchell
e026. e205
Watts
e029
Fowler
e052
Fowler
e054
Cotton
e054
Branning
e054
Peacock
e093
Slater
e096
Slater
e096
Fowler
e104
Fowler
e104
Branning
e112
Pearce-Brown
e118
Trueman
e136
Slater
e136
Slater
e136
Branning
e142. e201
Highway
e145
Highway
e160
Mitchell
e160
Slater
(Young)
e174, e175
Slater (Young)
e174, e175
Slater
(Young)
e174, e175
Slater
(Young)
e174, e175
Slater
(Young)
e174, e175
Slater
(Young)
e175
Carter
e200
Carter
e200
Evans
e204, e205
Evans
e205
Bates
e205
Watts
e206
DEPARTURES
Panesar
e002
Fowler
e030
Mitchell
e034
Colwell
e035
Allen
e059
Fowler
e059
Jackson
e063
Fowler
e063
Fowler
e063
Fowler
e063
Cant
e063
Slater
e083, e159
Slater
e083
Slater
e083
Fowler
e083, e159
Fowler
e083, e159
Peacock
e093
Taylor
e107
Baker
e107
Carter
e118
Carter
e118
Carter
e118
Brown
e133
Highway
e147
Branning
e142, e159
Highway
e161
Mitchell
e162
Unwin
e178
“Okie”
Okyere
e181
Knight
e183
Slater
e193
Knight
e193
Mitchell
e199
Watts
e208
Trueman
e209
Number of Episodes: 212 episodes, running four episodes weekly and 1 short
Episodes ending with Julia’s Theme: e002, e030, e046, e056 & e63
2024 / 2026
A Walk Through Walford 
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