Peter Beale’s (Thomas Law) rocked to the core in EastEnders next week when Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) confesses a huge secret concerning the events of Christmas Day.
Just as we finished off the last of our turkey and dived into the boxes of chocolates, the BBC soap served up a double helping of festive drama, and it wasn’t a happy holiday for the Beale and Knight family.
Lauren was threatening to expose Cindy Beale’s (Michelle Collins) affair with former step-son Junior Knight (Micah Balfour), but had agreed to keep shtum – for now – for the sake of everyone’s day.
What Cindy didn’t realise was that a ticking time bomb was sat amongst the presents… the incriminating audio that detailed her sordid fling and adoration for ex-husband George Knight (Colin Salmon).
The USB stick had been planted by Lauren, who addressed it to Cindy’s doting partner Ian (Adam Woodyatt), and was played to the entire pub.
Later that night, after tearing strips off her entire family, she planned to leave Walford forever. However, as she awaited the arrival of her taxi, she was struck over the head with a shovel and has been in a coma ever since.
The identity of Cindy’s attacker is set to be revealed in the 40th anniversary celebrations next month, but until we’ll have to play armchair detectives to piece together who was really responsible.
Next week, word spreads around the area that Cindy has woken up, and there’s nobody more keen to speak to her than DCI Arthurs (Ian Burfield), who is investigating the case.
She has a lot of questions herself, initially unaware of anything that happened to her – but Peter is keen to brush them to one side.
Arthurs informs her that in similar crimes he’s worked on, the perpetrator is usually somebody that the victim knows.
The revelation shocks Cindy to the core, and when Lauren turns up at the hospital ward with Peter, she puts on an act of hostility.
Later that night, the police turn up at the pub and arrest Lauren for attempted murder!
A furious Peter rushes back to the ward and learns that she has been pulled in for questioning as a result of his mum’s statement, demanding that she retracts it for the sake of their family.
Lauren then gives him some alarming truths about what really happened at Christmas.
The revelation leaves Peter shaking, and as the two become further estranged, he heads straight back to the hospital to support Cindy as she is discharged.
What information has Lauren been concealing?
