George Knight’s (Colin Salmon) world is about to be rocked to its core when unexpected guests turn up in EastEnders, bringing a dark secret.
The New Year’s Day entrance also sends George scurrying to ex-wife Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) for comfort, much to the horror of fiancee Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe).
It’s been a tough time for Queen Vic landlady Elaine of late, with Cindy determined to win over George and their daughters Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna (Molly Rainford), after vanishing from their lives nine years ago.
Now two new faces are set to show up at the Queen Vic and cause even more drama.
Eddie and Gloria Knight, George’s parents, turn up on New Year’s Day – and Elaine is quite shocked by her fiancee’s reaction to them.
Their entrance comes shortly after she’s heard Cindy asking George if he’s ‘happy with his life choices’.
What Elaine doesn’t know – and Cindy does – is that Eddie and Gloria are not his blood relatives, as George was adopted.
So when George is looking for someone to share his worries with after their visit, it’s Cindy he chooses, much to her delight.
Cindy’s had her substantial claws into George lately, even kissing him, and the pair even share a trip down memory lane on Christmas Day – much to Elaine’s horror.
Scheming Cindy married George while living in witness protection under a new name, Rose, while viewers – and most of Albert Square – thought she’d died in childbirth back in 1998.
In fact Cindy – who was jailed after trying to have hubby Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) murdered and attempting to leg it overseas with their kids – had turned informant on her cellmate, who has since died. So she’d been given a new life.
And in what can only be described as the most epic of twists, she’d recently got back together with Ian, despite previously hiring a hitman to finish him off and having affairs with barman Simon Wicks (Nick Berry) and his half brother David Wicks (Michael French).
Love – as far as infatuated Ian goes – is clearly blind.
Recently, he even believed her pack of lies after she was spotted kissing George.
Now Cindy’s quick to be there for George after Gloria tells him a truly shocking truth, and he continues to shut Elaine out.
Soon he’s sneaking off to see Cindy after a night on the sofa, and the pair resolve to try and find out more about his adoption.
Desperate for answers, he invites Gloria to dinner, but will she be able to tell George everything needs to know?
What is Gloria’s shocking secret, and will he ever tell Elaine about it?
Could events rekindle romance between Cindy and George?
