Five jaw-dropping BBC EastEnders theories: shock exit for favourite, new couple and murder secrets rock Walford
Many outcomes are possible this week as the Five do all they can to keep their secret intact.
NISH Panesar is making enemies left, right and centre in Albert Square but what if some of them were to strike back?
This week in EastEnders, Nish is on everybody’s mind as he’s not only getting close to the truth, he’s also ruffling another villain’s feathers.
1. Walford legend gets framed
Kat Slater (portrayed by Jessie Wallace) has found comfort in the arms of Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) after discovering that her husband cheated on her with Emma Harding.
In recent scenes aired on BBC One, as witnessed by regular soap watchers, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) was left on the spot when his younger sister Sam decided to expose him in The Vic for sleeping with Emma mere days before his wedding to Kat.
At the time, the owner of Kat’s Cabs was celebrating her birthday but this didn’t stop her from making the decision to leave Phil, right there and then.
She also didn’t waste any time and began to move on from her marriage with Phil with villainous Nish and viewers have had a lot to say about the budding romance.
However, Phil has had enough and decides to do everything he can to make it up to Kat and bring her back home.
Coming up, Kat receives a surprise gift from Phil, but isn’t happy with the contents.
Later on, Kat goes to hand back the money Phil gave her, and he asks her to come home.
Unfortunately, Kat stands her ground firmly and admits she’s unable to forgive him for his betrayal.
In other scenes, she and equally lonely Nish toast their freedom, but could they be thinking about other people?
Trouble could soon be knocking on Phil’s door in upcoming scenes of the London-based program as Karen Taylor actress Lorraine Stanley is reportedly due back in Walford following the secret death of her son Keanu Taylor.
Karen and Phil didn’t leave things in the greatest of terms as the tough man found out that she was behind Albie Watts’ fake kidnapping ordeal and she took the fall despite doing the job with Keanu’s input.
But with her son vanishing into thin air, Karen may return to the Square with a vengeance after several weeks away – and blame Phil for making her son disappear, according to some viewers of the long-running program.
“It would seem more and more likely to set up Phil – he’d have the motive to want Keanu gone”, one of them speculated.
“But he’s got an alibi at Christmas, unless they made look like he hired someone. Karen could throw accusations his way and Linda still has the murder weapon.”
Little do they all know that there’s more to Keanu’s death.
2. Murder plot
Nish Panesar is getting increasingly close to the truth as he suspects his estranged wife Suki (Balvinder Sopal) is keeping a massive secret.
In recent scenes, Nish began to have doubts about a recent attack that took place in the Vic on Christmas Day, which resulted in him dying before being brought back to life by Suki and eventually ending up in hospital.
Keanu Taylor was blamed for the attack but nobody really knows the hunk is actually dead and buried under Kathy Beale’s café – which Nish agreed to give to Suki in their divorce proceedings.
Coming up, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) presses Suki to get the divorce deal with Nish done so the café is safe from him.
When Suki goes to see Nish, he needles her about what happened on Christmas, and she tries to twist it all around to put him off the scent.
Unfortunately, Nish is insatiable and hellbent on getting answers to every single one of his questions.
After Kat Slater makes an intriguing comment about Stacey’s past, Nish breaks into the Slater house to confront her and try to get the truth.
Stacey comes face to face with Nish and she is terrified, but Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) eventually interrupts them and sends him packing.
In later scenes, Suki goes to see Nish, who tells her he’s reneging on their deal and will keep all the businesses.
If she doesn’t like it, he’ll never divorce her, so she’s trapped in their marriage.
Suki must decide whether to take him to court and risk him going to the police or agree to Nish’s deal and be free of him.
A real dilemma begins for Suki as she remains clear-headed about one of her main goals – stop Keanu’s body from being found.
Nish is becoming increasingly cumbersome in Walford, which has prompted viewers to theories his time may be running out.
One of them commented on social media: “Nish’s time surely must be up soon? He’s making so many enemies of people, apart from Kat.”
“I think someone’s going to do something soon just to keep him quiet”, another agreed.
A third begged: “please just kill Nish off at this point sick to death of him.”
Could the Six, with the exception of Sharon Watts who fled the Square in recent weeks, hatch a plot to permanently get rid of Nish?
But what if someone ALREADY had a plan for him?
3. Villain gets comeuppance
Soap fans grew increasingly scared for Kat Slater as she allows Nish into her private life.
Due to Nish’s treacherous nature and behaviour, many of them believed he may have ulterior motives and use Kat for his own benefit.
“With all of Phil’s businesses in Kat’s name, Nish will befriend her, hoodwink and con Kat then own all of Phil’s empire”, one soap watcher wrote.
Another jumped in, agreeing: “Nish has a motive he’s not interested in Kat.”
However, another viewer believes that Nish may be the one to be betrayed – particularly as fans were for Kat to become a secret member of the Six.
“Did anyone else notice how Kat called Nish her Knight in shining armour? I think Kat is going to become part of the 6 and they will frame Nish for Keanus death”, one viewer penned.
“I think right now she’s playing him and she’s going to help the rest frame him! Watch this space, you heard it here first! She’s not a stupid woman, she knows what she’s doing!”
Are they on to something?
4. Favourite set for devastating exit
Speaking of the Six, one Walford matriarch is having a devastatingly hard time keeping her head above water as she tries to keep Keanu’s death a secret while also saving her fragile marriage.
Viewers have been shocked by the lack of support Denise Fox (Diane Parish) has received from her peers and things go from bad to worse for her this week.
Coming up, it’s Denise’s birthday, but she’s forgotten her own big day, which is usually celebrated on January 27.
When her family excitedly greet her with birthday celebrations, Denise’s emotions gets the best of her and she rushes out, unable to face anybody.
Denise’s husband Jack Branning follows and tries to find out what’s wrong, but she knows she can’t open up to him, which drives an even bigger wedge between them.
Jack and Denise’s marriage has been hanging by a thread for several weeks and they are struggling to get things back on track.
The family are all upset and confused, and later, after scared Raymond begs her to go back to being his mummy again, Denise decides to tell Jack everything.
While this remains to be seen, in other scenes, it’s the day of baby Charli’s guardianship hearing.
Lily Slater and Ricky Branning are both nervous while Denise is surprised to hear from Nish Panesar that he had an altercation with Jack and Stacey Slater.
Denise immediately collars her to find out what happened and Stacey convinces her it was over Suki Panesar.
However, Denise is so rattled that she rushes off as both families walk into the courtroom.
Later, at No.27, a worried Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) finds Denise and begs her to seek help from medical professionals.
Meanwhile, Jack joins a party at the Slaters, and Stacey takes him aside to ask about Denise.
At the Branning house, Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) soothes Denise as she cries out in her sleep but Jack isn’t there.
When he finally gets home, Jack is short with Denise over missing the court hearing.
She asks where he’s been all night, and he makes an excuse about work.
Paranoid Denise fears that the case might be connected to the Christmas Day death, so she steals his phone to find out.
At Fox and Hair, Denise overreacts when Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) says she’s ringing Jack and the mobile rings on her desk.
Jack arrives, and a row breaks out, where he reveals he slept with someone else to a disgusted Penny.
Following this Denise seeks out an unlikely confidante but her mental health continues to go south.
In later scenes, Denise wanders into The Vic for psychic Madame Tellerina’s night and immediately sparks concern from the others as she looks terrible.
They are shocked when she volunteers to go on stage, hoping to get some answers to her despair.
But at home, Denise’s grip on reality slips even further.
With all the odds stacked against Denise, and her mental health on a slippery slope, one could suggest that she may be dragged out of Walford as she suffers a huge mental breakdown.
“The Four will not be happy until they’ve destroyed every part of Denise’s life. Denise deserves so much better than them”, one fan fumed online.
Denise could be pushed to the end of her tether before suffering a psychotic episode as the guilt continues to swallow her whole.
But there’s another way Denise could leave.
“Has anyone else heard a lot of foxes screaming in Nish’s night time scenes lately? I think it’s a sign Denise may crack soon and come clean to Nish”, another soap watcher commented.
Another took it a step further: “Denise, WTF??!! They’re gonna stitch you up for Keanu AND Nish.”
After Rocky Cotton was discarded by his own wife Kathy Beale, could Denise be considered too weak a link to keep around?
5. New couple
Meanwhile, Gina Knight (Francesca Henry) did what most fans were dreaming of doing and punched vile rapist Dean Wicks in the face after he finally showed her his true colours.
Although all her attention was directed at the evil character, another eligible bachelor was spotted by soap fans.
Some even firmly believe he would be a perfect match for Gina.
Dean is just as dangerous as any other villain who has been allowed to roam free in Walford and, after Gina humiliated him, he may be tempted to strike back this week.
Thankfully for Gina, one of her male friends in the Square could come to her rescue.
“I think Dean will try to attack Gina and Jay will save her”, one fan suggested.
Gina and Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) met upon her first arrival in Walford, just as he was waving a heart-breaking goodbye to his terminally ill wife Lola Pearce.
In recent scenes, Jay was believed to be the first resident aware of Gina’s budding romance with Dean and he warned her to stay on her guard around him.
Has enough time gone by for Jay to move on from Lola?
