EastEnders viewers were convinced of Nish Panesar’s demise before it even aired, after a chilling clue teased a sinister fate for the villain on the BBC soap on New Year’s Day

Evil Nish Panesar is finally gone in EastEnders, but with his death confirmed on Thursday night it was clear to some viewers what was on the cards.

Hints had seen the show tease Nish’s “final act” with us fully aware the character was leaving the BBC soap for good, with actor Navin Chowdhry bowing out. But it was not confirmed how he would go and whether he would die – or if anyone else would be killed off with him.

Thursday night’s dramatic fallout to the New Year’s Day horror finally confirmed the truth as we learned the fates of Suki Panesar, Eve Unwin and Denise Fox, who had all been attacked by Nish. We also found out Nish’s own fate as his brutal death was confirmed onscreen.

As investigators declared there was no sign of life after he plunged off a balcony with ex-wife Suki, deliberately dragging her down with him after his son Ravi Gulati shoved him, he was zipped up in a bodybag. Fortunately Denise, Eve and Suki all survived their brushes with death and Nish was defeated.

But a scene in the episode prior to the dramatic cliffhanger may have given the game away. Fans noticed a nod to the past, a very telling and no doubt deliberate prop used, that sealed Nish’s fate.

Evil Nish Panesar is finally gone in EastEnders, a year on from him being teased as the Christmas 2023 victim (Image: BBC)

Just a year ago, Christmas 2023, Nish was tipped to be the victim of The Six in the Christmas Day murder. He was hit over the head by Denise but he survived, and it was actually Keanu Taylor who perished.

There was a line-up of potential male characters who faced death after a cryptic flashforward earlier in the year. Each of the men featured in a photo, with all of them wearing the same suit and the very same cufflinks.

These cufflinks were a major clue to who died from the very start of the plot, significant to the episodes and identifying who might die. So for Nish to wear these very same ‘deadly’ cufflinks for Suki and Eve’s wedding was very telling.

His grim fate was marked from the very start with the nod back to last Christmas and his near-death setting the scene for his eventual demise. Fans were quick to notice this long before his fatal fall, and before his death was confirmed.

Taking to X, one fan posted: “NOT THE CUFFLINKS,” as another said: “THE CUFFLINKS PARALLELING TO CHRISTMASSSS 2023 OHHHH THIS MAN IS SO BONES.” A third added: “THE CUFFLINKS,” with a fourth fan posting: “Nish is wearing THE cufflinks.”

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.