JACK Branning will be left distraught after a life-threatening crowd crush next week in EastEnders.
The copper – played by Scott Maslen – will face chaos as Peggy’s becomes dangerously overcrowded.
Nightclub manager Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) is going through a difficult time after she was demoted thanks to a scheming Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine), who usurped her role.
Next week, Chelsea spies an opportunity to strike back at Penny and get her job back, but will she regret it?
Upcoming scenes will see Penny underprepared for her club night at Peggy’s.
She attempts to flog some last minute tickets outside The Queen Victoria pub.
At Peggy’s, Chelsea and Penny have a frosty exchange before Chelsea attempts to sabotage the night by meddling with the booking system to make more tickets available online, even though the event is almost at full capacity.
An oblivious Penny continues to try and bring in more customers.
But it’s not long before chaos ensues when Peggy’s becomes dangerously overcrowded.
Avani convinces Amy and Nugget to gatecrash the party at Peggy’s.
Meanwhile, Junior asks Cindy to join him at Peggy’s, but their affair threatens to be rumbled when Ian arrives.
The pair hide in the office, and give into their desires unaware of the events that are unfolding outside.
Later, the chaos continues at Peggy’s with too many inside, so a crush intensifies.
Elsewhere, in The Vic, Kim tells Jack that Denise has started finalising their divorce proceedings.
But he is left distraught after he arrives at Peggy’s to see the aftermath of the crush.
SOAP viewers are frequently left heartbroken after watching some of their favourite characters bite the dust.
Here is a list of the most devastating deaths that have taken place in soapland over the years.
EASTENDERS
Barry Evans – Evil Janine (Charlie Brooks) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying.
Her plan to inherit Barry’s fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files.
Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was “fake”.
Bradley Branning – Bradley was accused of killing Stacey Slater’s rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after he punched him twice on the night he died.
He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape.
Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his death.
CORONATION STREET
Tina McIntyre – Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow – despite him being married to Carla Connor.
When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla’s brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her.
Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony – then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her.
In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe.
EMMERDALE
Sarah Sugden – After the family got into financial problems, Sarah’s son Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn.
He didn’t realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze.
Nine villagers – The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale.
Mark Hughes was killed by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was killed by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash.
Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died.
HOLLYOAKS
Carmel McQueen – The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family’s car.
Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble – but got stuck in it herself.
Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel.
With Jack’s daughters Amy and Penny and niece Lauren all inside, who will make it out unscathed?
With some residents hospitalised and seriously injured, a guilty Chelsea worries as she is questioned on her role of events by the police.
While other residents are looking for answers of what went seriously wrong – will Chelsea admit to what she’s done?
In a new interview shared with RadioTimes.com and other press, actress Zaraah Abrahams speaks about how her character Chelsea’s actions have consequences.
In the build up to the deadly crush, Chelsea could not predict what’s going to happen as Zaraah shared: “No, she has absolutely no idea.
“She thinks it’s just going to be too busy, too hot, and people are going to complain and want to go home as the understaffed bar is overwhelmed.”
In the aftermath of the crowd crush, Chelsea “feels absolutely awful.
“It was never her intention for anything to go so badly wrong, and instantly she is filled with guilt that she has had a part to play in what is a catastrophic, and potentially fatal, accident.”
Coping with her guilt, Zaraah added: “I think she is going to take it quite hard, especially because she is a mum now, so has another perspective on what life means.”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
