The Year Is… 2026

New Year’s Day 2027
We opened the year with a flashforward — straight to New Year’s Day 2027! The Square, quieter than usual and still showing the wreckage of one hell of a party the night before, was preparing for a wedding. Best man Ian Beale had his speech ready, punters were already celebrating in the Vic, and the unknown bride — whoever she was — was getting ready to marry Max Branning!

And because this is Max Branning, obviously he woke up next to a mystery woman. A pregnant mystery woman. Before we could even process that, the police swarmed the Square, arrested Max, and charged him with conspiracy to commit murder! We never learned who the intended victim was, but a creepy vehicle parked nearby held a clue.

When Max finally returned home from the cells, his bride had vanished — and a message on his phone told him to choose between Lauren and Oscar. His children. Both being held at gunpoint.

Back to 2026: The Aftermath of Anthony’s Death
Kat Moon began the year desperate to get her daughter Zoe out of the prison cell she was in — but to do that, she needed proof that Zoe didn’t murder Anthony Trueman. And even Zoe herself wasn’t sure if she’d done it or not! Kat’s only recourse was to talk to Jasmine, who had suddenly found herself surrounded by family on all sides! Jean was livid, believing Jasmine was responsible for all the darkness that had crept over the family, and refused to stay on the Square as long as Jasmine was around!

Jasmine spent time with the Truemans, getting to know Patrick and Yolande, and when Anthony’s body was released, they gathered at the funeral home. Taking a moment with her dead father, Jasmine revealed the truth: she had come across Anthony attacking Zoe — and hit him hard over the head. He had died instantly. She hadn’t even known he was her father. And she was glad.

This girl had some serious issues that would soon come to light – especially since she had recorded the whole thing…

Nicola’s Revenge
Nicola Mitchell was not one to forgive or give second chances. Once you were in her bad books, you stayed there until you found a way out on your own. In Ravi Gulati’s case, his page in her notebook was thicker than a tree trunk — he’d been responsible for son Harry’s overdose and drug addiction, and was the reason her ex Teddy was in prison for murder.

So when Ravi let his guard down in the club one night, Nicola and Harry gleefully spiked the hardman’s drink and let him hallucinate into the night alone.

His visions got to him — in the form of his dead father, Nish. Fighting back, Ravi lashed out and left the scene. The next morning, he woke to a horror: his son Nugget had been attacked, and tests in hospital showed a significant head injury. Ravi realised he hadn’t hit his father… He had critically wounded his own son.

Nugget would recover, but the injury left him epileptic. Ravi couldn’t forgive himself — and he began to spiral, hard…

Bea the Best Friend
A small story in January would turn into a full‑blown crisis by the summer, but when we met Bea Pollard at Linda’s high school reunion, she didn’t seem unstable. Kooky, maybe. Mildly eccentric? Honey had used Bea’s nametag to get inside the event, and found herself talking to Bea, who declared that Linda had bullied her in their youth. Linda recoiled in horror, remembering differently.

When Honey left that night, she had Bea’s bag by mistake. Or at least, it seemed like a mistake at the time. When Honey returned the bag, she and Linda found Bea penniless, homeless, and with nowhere to go. Linda, feeling guilty, took her home to the Peacock Palace for a while, until she could make other arrangements…

Nigel: The Final Journey
Phil Mitchell was nothing if not determined. He was convinced that taking Nigel to Portugal was the answer to his dementia and all Nigel needed was a good soak in the sun with old friends, and all would be right as rain. Of course, he kept his plans hidden from most, but sister Sam, still fighting cancer, was adamant that Phil was in the wrong. Sam told housemate George Knight, who passed the info to Denise, who had words with her son’s Dad. Eventually, after an accident in the bathtub saw Nigel nearly drown, Phil was convinced and started helping Julie look for a care home as she coped with Nigel’s declining health.

The residents came out in force to say goodbye to Nigel the day he moved. Julie got in touch with errant stepdaughter Clare, who returned to the Square. She was devastated to see her father figure in such a weakened state – and worse, he didn’t even remember her. However, after taking him to the Vic for one last drink, Nigel recognised his friends and family – and his daughter. However, as Nigel became violent later that night, Clare fled, unable to cope with the situation, leaving Julie on her own, and Phil blaming himself for the bath incident and his inability to look after his friend.

And then there was a knock on the door…

Mark Fowler Junior – Back on the Square!
A prodigal child of Walford Past returned to his home haunts as soon as January began!

In the flashforward, we had seen a mystery man getting close to Lauren and watching Max Branning be arrested. His identity was revealed rather sharpish as Mark Fowler Jr, son of Michelle Fowler and Grant Mitchell, who hadn’t been back to Walford since 2016!

Now all grown up, Mark had gotten involved in some dodgy dealings with gangsters and owed their boss big time: his mission in Walford – to track down a police informant… It wouldn’t be long, but Mark would find himself in deep, and would need all the help from his estranged family he could get!

Branning Baby!
Penny Branning found herself unexpectantly expecting far more than just a part-time bunk-up when she kissed Vinny Panesar on New Year’s Eve. While Vinny was smitten, Penny less so, not being one to settle down. In fact, for months she’d been having fun with Harry Mitchell until he settled down with Gina Knight. Before you could say “Ooops” Penny realised she was in trouble when her dates didn’t quite add up: the baby was Harry’s.

Rather than admit the problem, Penny decided to keep the information to herself and continued to prepare for the baby, pushing Vinny out of the way and being far too independent for her loved ones liking. As she opened her own shop close to the market, Penny started doing more by herself… and found herself in a dangerous state when she fell from her chair and Suki had to help her. But Penny was proud… How far would she go, refusing to let people help her?

Penny wasn’t the only Branning with a complicated love life – it seems the entire family had issues on that front! Lauren found herself more and more attracted to bad boy Mark, Max was up to his usual, and Oscar… well, Oscar genuinely fell in love. With two different people at the same time. Two people who happened to be twins… But to delve in to this one, we have to go back to Christmas and the events that left Zoe Slater, innocent and scared, behind bars for a murder she didn’t commit…

The Slater Twins and the Truth About Anthony
Kat Moon had always been a tough cookie, but this time, with her prodigal daughter Zoe locked up for a murder she may not have committed, Kat was running out of options. And as she grew closer to Jasmine, the actual killer, she started getting desperate.

She went to Zoe and begged her to mention Chrissie’s role in Jasmine’s stalking, but Zoe was unwilling to risk the wrath of the killer Mrs. Watts. Kat eventually got a lead on Chrissie anyway, but her search proved fruitless. Eventually however, someone else from her past would aid her in her quest…

Enter Jake Moon, presumed dead for nearly twenty years! He stunned Alfie by appearing out of nowhere in February, and was anxious to find the missing Chrissie himself. It turns out she had fled his side after her Christmas meeting with Zoe – and he had even visited Zoe in prison. But Jake’s presence changed the tide. Chrissie was drawn back to the Square and a trap was laid for Jasmine, who confessed Anthony’s murder to Kat! Before you could say ‘prison swap’ Zoe was out, Jasmine was in and Chrissie and Jake reconciled, once more running into the sunset together and engaged!

Jasmine’s phone however had more than just a video of the moment of Anthony’s death hidden in it’s folders. It also had proof that Anthony had attacked first and that the murder was self-defence. The phone ended up in Cindy’s hands, who wasn’t keen to help Jasmine, but, pressured into it by Max, she acquiesced – and Jasmine was soon out following a review of her case. Also on Jasmine’s phone, however: a message from her twin brother Josh… the son Zoe had been looking for…

Joel: Facing the Facts!
Vicki Fowler could barely cope. Jumping at her own shadow and fearing for her safety at home, she had spent months building up to stepson Joel’s sentencing for the attack he had carried out on her. Eventually, in a brave show of defiance, Vicki stood up and told the court all of Joel’s crimes, and he subsequently admitted his own guilt and was sentenced to detention.

Arrangements were made to keep him off the Square upon release and Vicki finally settled down with Ross, determined to get married and make a fresh start of life. She even pushed her feelings for Zack Hudson aside. The wedding was on, and no one and nothing was going to ruin Vicki’s big day…

Josh and Jasmine: Reunited
Searching for information about Jasmine brought Zoe and Kat into contact with a woman named Sandra Goodwin, who had come to the Square looking for information on the imprisoned girl. Turned out Sandra and her husband had taken the twins in as babies and raised them both until an incident when the twins were nine. Her husband had died in a car accident, with Jasmine in the car, and she had been unfairly blamed for the crash. Jasmine left the family right then and hadn’t seen her twin brother since. Luckily for Sandra, he had no clue about his sister’s whereabouts – until he followed mum to Walford and bumped into his birth mother and the Trueman clan instead!

Josh threw himself into his relationship with Patrick’s clan, even getting a job in the Salon before moving in, but kept his distance from Zoe. He did visit his sister in prison and they began making an uneasy start in the right direction. After all, she had killed his birth father too! While on the Square he fell hard after a one-night stand with Oscar Branning, who now had a problem on his hands. When he discovered that both Josh and girlfriend Jasmine were twins, the situation became untenable and Oscar broke up with both of them to save their sibling bond. But the tension between Oscar and Josh continued to sizzle…

Ravi’s Descent
Dealing with his role in Nugget’s health and accident drove Ravi beyond guilt: It threatened to drive him insane! Being a police informant wasn’t the right fit for Ravi and he was pulled in several directions at once.

Ordered to get rid of an informant by his boss, Mark Fowler targeted Ravi and nearly got killed for his trouble, but Priya was determined that her man wouldn’t fall.

As Nugget started having seizures (Denzel saved his life during one particularly bad episode), Priya stood by Ravi’s side, convincing him that he needed help, but Ravi wouldn’t budge. Eventually, she set off to take him to hospital against his will, but he discovered her plan and, when Nugget suffered a seizure at the same time, Priya crashed the family car with the entire family inside! To make matters worse, the other vehicle had Max Branning, Cindy Beale and baby Jimmy inside and was now aflame.

In a daze, Ravi was unable to help, but Max, proving himself a true hero and a knight in some sort of armour, got Cindy and Jimmy out at the last second. Ravi was sectioned, Priya was left devastated and Cindy was incredibly impressed, even starting a relationship with Max!

Family Ties
After failing to get rid of informant Ravi, Mark’s boss Russell Delaney was less than happy. Mark owed the gangster money and when Ravi wasn’t taken care of, the bill went up.

Mark’s next idea was to sell stolen cars through the car lot, which was left in Branning hands after Jay left the Square. Max and Lauren eventually teamed up to run the place, with Priya’s assistance since she was low after Ravi’s hospitalisation. Mark, ever the charmer, had designs on Lauren in more than one way and quickly brought her in on his plan. She, after all, was desperate for money to enrol Jimmy in a specialist school. She resisted the attraction between them, but only just.

With Delaney threatening Vicki as the bill continued to soar, Mark was desperate. He turned to uncle Phil and aunt Sam, but they were falling apart themselves, with Phil ignoring a dying Nigel in his care home, and Sam completing her cancer treatment. With no one else to turn to, he picked up the phone and dialled his father in Portugal.

By the time Grant Mitchell strode back into Albert Square, things had escalated. Phil had gone walkies, Nigel was coming to the end of his journey, Sam was an emotional mess and Billy, of all of them, seemed to be the stable one! Worst of all, Mark had been kidnapped by Delaney’s thugs! As Julie sat by Nigel’s side, Grant went looking for Phil, who had raced to the seaside to find a stone for Nigel. A very special stone, reminding Nigel of his childhood.

Luckily for all involved, Grant and Phil made it back to Walford in time, and Nigel passed surrounded by his wife and his best friend. There wasn’t a dry eye at the funeral, as Josh and Clare joined Julie in mourning their loss.

Julie went back to Scotland, but before that the Mitchells reaffirmed their bond by saving the kidnapped Mark from Delaney and double-crossing him in the process! Unfortunately, when Mark’s scheme at the car lot was in danger of being exposed, Sam and Mark torched the stolen vehicles, and Grant took the blame. He and Sam fled back to Portugal and Mark was in the clear… at least for now…

Wedding Night Woes
Zack Hudson loved Vicki Fowler. He had tried to explain it to her, but she wasn’t having it. It wasn’t worth it, their night together had been a mistake, and she wanted to marry Ross. Zack thought she’d change her mind, but she didn’t and, on the week of the wedding, the Square prepared.

Zack met with ex Whitney, who broke his heart by moving on to someone else. Then Vicki was so forthright with him that Zack, in a rather stupid move, hinted at Vicki’s interest in him to Ross himself. When at the altar, a look between Zack and Vicki was all it took and Ross clicked.

The wedding still happened; visiting Sharon calmed the pair down and they went ahead with the ceremony. Zack was left broken-hearted and Vicki was finally happy, but the wedding was just the start of the night that would change everything in Walford…

The Night That Everything Changed
At the wedding reception, Chelsea Fox was pursued by both Mark (rejected by Lauren) and Zack (rejected by Vicki) and the pair even came to blows. Annoyed at her fun being spoilt, Chelsea took it out on son Jordan, who fled too far from the party. He ended up being hit by a barely-moving car, being driven by a just-over-the-limit Councillor Ian Beale!

Jordan wound up in serious condition in hospital with spinal injuries and Ian, not having a clue he was over the limit or had even hit anyone, was hauled away for hit-and-run and drink driving charges!

At the reception, Priya also flirted outrageously. Ravi had been released from hospital, come home, spent the night with her and then left to find himself! Priya felt used and abused and picked a bloke at the party that she was determined to get. During the speeches, when Max Branning proposed to Cindy and she left him hanging, Priya saw her moment, and she and Max spent the first of many nights together… and the consequences would be massive!

The Evil of Eddie Knight
A few weeks before the wedding, George Knight kept receiving phone calls. When Nicola went into premature labour with baby Ivy, George was by her side and, even though the situation looked rough, Nicola and baby Ivy soon came home and the blended Knight-Mitchell family began to take shape.

Worried that the calls were serious, Nicola intercepted one of them and headed straight for the hospital. While there she came face to face with Eddie Knight, convicted killer and George’s adopted father, now dying of lung cancer. Nicola wasn’t keen on giving the racist the time of day – until he offered to pay his way. Nicola, wanting to keep both club Harry’s Barn and George’s Knight Fusion restaurant in business, decided to let him come to Walford to die – without telling George.

He wasn’t best pleased when his father blackmailed his way first into the house and then into the main living area. He kept up his ‘nice-as-pie’ façade unless he was talking to Gina or George, and showed absolutely no attrition for his crimes. The night of the wedding, finally having listened to his ‘father’ go on and with Gina avoiding him as a result, George was by his side as his father began to choke.

Arranging a meeting with Sheila Atkins, Chelsea reluctantly allowed her to pay towards Jordan’s extensive treatment and wheelchair – all the while allowing Jordan to meet his great-grandmother. The family were horrified that she would have contact with anyone connected to Gray, but Chelsea was adamant that Sheila had nothing to do with her nefarious killer of a grandson.

Of course, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Sheila was in frequent contact with Gray, visiting him in prison and updating him on his son’s progress. Gray manipulated her, telling her what a bad mother Chelsea was and that he was better off with them. When Ian happened to end up on the same wing as him, Gray seized his chance, befriending the frightened Ian and convincing him to get Chelsea to visit him in prison.

Feeling guilty about Ian being sentenced to eight months in prison, Chelsea became determined to do the right thing. She asked Sheila to pay for a lawyer to appeal Ian’s sentencing and offered a statement that confirmed her part in Jordan’s running away. She even visited Ian in prison to talk it over with him – and that was when Gray struck.

Causing a disturbance, Gray ensured the prison was locked down, and Chelsea was stuck in the visiting room until the situation was over. At the same time, Sheila took Jordan from Kim on the Square and rushed him to the airport, having secured his passport.

Denise and Kim raced to the airport in time and the police rescued Jordan, arresting Sheila in the process. Gray tried to take revenge on Ian, but ended up stabbed accidentally for his troubles! A defiant Chelsea visited him in hospital and told the murderer that he had lost. He would never see her or his son again.

Imitation is the Highest Form of Flattery…
Honey had been pleased as punch to have a friend that was exactly like her. Bea Pollard stayed with Linda in the Peacock Palace when she found herself homeless and proceeded to embed herself deep in Walford’s community. Quirky and slightly odd, she was the yin to Honey’s yang and everyone noticed it. It was quite sweet in a way. They worked together, and when Bea started dating Ian during his campaign for local councillor, she found herself quite influential.

However, behind the scenes was a different story. Bea wasn’t just friends with Honey. She was beginning to ‘be’ Honey. Once she’d moved in with Honey and Billy, she got a credit card out in Honey’s name, spent the money and wracked up a huge debt. When Honey found out she was horrified. Ian also dismissed her when she filmed a horrible defamation video on rival would-be councillor Elaine Peacock, which went down like a ton of bricks! The only good thing that came from the whole thing was the war between Ian and Elaine ended and transformed into something a little more personal and a lot more casual…

Eventually Billy had enough and ordered Bea to leave. Bea, using quite the tech skills, created a voice message from an AI that replicated Billy threatening her if she didn’t sleep with him! Exposing the message was the last straw and Billy confronted Bea. When Honey returned to her home to find blood everywhere, she assumed the worst, Billy was charged with murder and Bea was no where to be found!

When Honey lured her back to the Square with a fake memorial video, Bea kidnapped her and attempted to hold her hostage in a holiday cottage, but Honey escaped and Bea was arrested for a list of crimes, such as forgery, fraud, kidnapping and attempted murder! And she made best friends with the policewoman booking her… As Linda observed, some people will and cannot change…

The Return of Joel Marshall
Or maybe, just maybe, people could change. In July, arriving home from their honeymoon, Ross and Vicki should have been on cloud nine. And to be fair, they were – for about four hours! Days within coming home, Ross’ ex Cleo turned up, casually dropping Joel back on the Square as if he was a returned library book! Unable to cope, Cleo did a runner, and Joel was left on a Square where absolutely no one wanted him around: Avani was appalled, Vicki was in shock and the Walford residents weren’t happy.

The only person who seemed to have any time for him was Lily Slater. She befriended him and got the rough treatment from her mates. When the teens of Walford, egged on by Amy Mitchell, decided to celebrate their exam results, they invited Joel along, with the express intention of humiliating him. They chained him up, shouted abuse at him and poured beer over him and videoed the whole thing. The teens fled, but Lily returned and released him.

A short time after, Joel was found in the park, his head caved in with a hammer. The teenagers knew one of them had done it. It was too much of a coincidence. Jack, already struggling, was pulled from the case and his colleague DC Craig Ingram came in to look into the crime. Eventually, after much back and forth, Amy confessed to the officer, off the record, that it was her. Ingram was suspended from the case by his superiors after a former complaint about his behaviour was upheld – and when he decided to keep Amy’s confession to himself and took her for a quiet, but underage drink, the seventeen year old Amy found herself in the older man’s arms…

As for Joel, he recovered in hospital, still having no where else to go. But Vicki, seeing the way Cleo had walked away, realised why Joel was the way he was. She decided with one look, there and then, that she would be the mother the boy needed. And from that moment on, Joel Marshall not only gained a home, but a mum for life.

Denise’s Greatest Battle!
Quietly, on the other side of the Square, Denise Fox was in denial for a moment. After a few weeks of memory loss and tired spells, Denise finally listened to one-time enemy turned friend Sam Mitchell, and got checked out with the doctors. When she was called back in to discover her results, she had the shock of her life.

Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, Denise was well aware of the bad statistics for a person of her background and age. Less than a 25% chance of survival. Not telling her family at first, she tried to carry on as normal, but of course this proved impossible. Soon her treatment kept her away from the Square in hospital, allowing her brief moments of visiting the Square, but otherwise she was hospital room bound, away from infection and the world.

The first round of treatment failed. Another round was prepared. When Denise discovered Jordan had been kidnapped, she threw doctor’s advice out of the window and left the hospital to save her grandchild. While she did just that, the attempt brought Denise to her knees and she needed to be placed in an induced coma just to breathe.

It was then that Kim had a hit on the ancestry website she was using to track down relatives. Denise had a half-brother, named Darnell Larson, who Jack quickly contacted. All they needed now was a test to see if he was a stem cell match and he could save his newfound sister’s life. If he was of a mind to, of course…

Nicola’s Surprise: The Hawkins Family Arrive!
In August, finally putting Eddie’s death behind them, Nicola and George had only just got back on track. Then a car drove into the Square, smashing one of Elaine Peacock’s beloved statues, heading straight for Nicola! It turned out her sister Gemma was at the wheel, her other sister Jodie in the passenger seat and her potential son-in-law in the boot! The unfortunate soul had been accused of beating Gemma’s daughter Megan, and not knowing what to do had brought Gemma to her estranged sister’s door!

George on the other hand had a similar shock when Nicola’s mother Rose Hawkins arrived on the steps of No.1. A formidable character and presence, Rose didn’t speak very highly of her daughter, or the life she had made for herself, and warned George that no good could come from her twisted offspring. Walking into the club, he witnessed Nicola’s temper towards her niece’s accuser and was horrified.

Nicola opened up to him then about her childhood. Her dad was a serial abuser. One day, she had found him attacking her mum and had ordered him from the home and out of their lives. He died in an accident shortly afterward, and Rose had blamed her daughter ever since. Not a nice word could be uttered between the two!

The Hawkins family were back a few weeks later with even more family members in tow: Gemma’s husband Ned and her son Ryder! Nicola said they could stay, on the proviso that her mother stayed away… And of course, that was when Rose arrived home…

The Other Stuff
Suki and Eve become foster parents to little Ria. The little girl is a challenging addition to the household, taking time to open up… Linda briefly has a fling with Grant Mitchell, and later in the year dates councillor Clive Masters. She also remains close to Max… Sharon finally returns home for good in July. She sells her shares in the boxing gym… Howie and Kim prepare to marry, as do Max and Cindy! Johnny is blackmailed into bed by creepy Tim Walton, putting strain on his relationship with Callum…