EASTENDERS is set to deliver the festive goods next month, with a few ghostly bombshell returns expected to grace our screens.
The residents of Albert Square are in for an explosive Christmas, with this year set to be even more dramatic than before as the BBC One soap gears up for its upcoming 40th anniversary.
Most of this year’s drama has spun off from the murder of Keanu Taylor by The Six last Christmas, whilst the ever-evolving storyline around Cindy Beale is keeping fans on edge.
But it’s the fate of Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) that may become the centre of the show, with the character being the frontrunner when it comes to being confronted with their future and haunted by their past.
Linda has been struggling with her alcohol addiction all year after she stabbed Keanu to death in a bid to save best friend Sharon Watts.
Fans are speculating that she may meet her tragic end after a number of cast members were spotted shooting funeral scenes on location, according to exclusive photos released by The Sun Online.
Maddy Hill and Danny Hatchard, who starred as Nancy and Lee Carter, were seen on location alongside Johnny Carter and Elaine Peacock (Charlie Suff and Harriet Thorpe).
There was no sign of Linda though, which has led fans to think she might be the show’s next victim, following the return of her alcoholism.
Eagle-eyed fans may notice Nancy wearing flamingo earrings in the pictures, which are synonymous with Linda’s style, while the rest of the group were sporting pink accessories.
There’s also the possibility that Danny Dyer could return in his role as Mick Carter after his body was washed out to sea in 2022 and was never found. Could he be making a ghostly return?
The show is known to throw off viewers from what will really happen by setting up fake location shoots, so it’s not entirely certain what to expect but it looks like fans are in for a rollercoaster ride.
Viewers certainly hope it’s going to be a soap take on A Christmas Carol, with one writing on a forum: “I have faith in Clenshaw to pull off A Christmas Carol in Walford.
“He hasn’t done many special episodes but I loved the Mitchells 1979 episode and the Cindy reveal in France etc.
“Linda’s been behaving more like Scrooge in recent weeks, as shown by her moody outbursts and sulking at the family meeting in the kitchen the other day where all the others were celebrating the family’s future.
“If that’s what’s happening I bet it’ll be good.
“Albert Square is a perfect setting for a Dickensian special too, plus it allows us to get some surprise cameos from actors who otherwise aren’t available for a long (or even the now classic ‘short’) stint.”
Another added: “I’m 50/50 on her dying. After seeing the spoilers for Xmas, I’m wondering if we will see a reality of what will happen if Linda continues to drink, and then following Christmas we will see her trying to rebuild her life.
“I mean it’s like they’ve completely forgot about when she had cancer as well.
“I think seeing Linda trying to move on from the past would be interesting to watch, as it still feels like she’s still in the shadows from Micks exit.”
With numerous iconic characters returning in recent months, it’s almost guaranteed BBC bosses will be pulling out all the stops to make this Christmas the best one yet.
