EastEnders favourite Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) was brutally murdered with a spade in the Christmas Day episode – and fans are convinced they know who was behind the attack

EastEnders’ iconic character Cindy Beale, played by Michelle Collins, has been dramatically written out of the soap, and viewers are convinced they know who’s responsible for her demise.

The legendary soap star made a sensational return to Albert Square last year, a quarter of a century after her last appearance. Since then, she’s been stirring up quite a bit of trouble in Walford.

Cindy’s scandalous exploits include embarking on an affair with Junior (Micah Balfour), the son of her former husband George Knight (Colin Salmon), and weaving a web of deceit. However, her world came tumbling down on Christmas Day when her secret affair was revealed through an audio recording played to the entire pub.

Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) was heartbroken to discover his partner’s infidelity and dissatisfaction with their relationship. At the same time, George was appalled to learn about her liaison with his son, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Cindy’s caused plenty of drama(Image: BBC)

One by one, every character, including her daughters Anna (Molly Rainford) and Gina (Francesca Henry) and son Peter (Thomas Law), turned against Cindy. Eventually, Ian saw through Cindy’s lies and evicted her, leaving her distraught.

But as the episode neared its end, events took a shocking twist. With nowhere else to go, Cindy found herself wandering around the square. Out of nowhere, an unidentified individual picked up a hefty metal spade and struck Cindy over the head.

Cindy was bashed over the head(Image: BBC)

Tragedy struck when Cindy collapsed to the floor, seemingly lifeless, leading fans to believe that the beloved soap character has met her end. Viewers are now buzzing with theories on who orchestrated the attack and it’s not the usual suspects.

While some speculate her daughters Anna or Gina may be involved, other eagle-eyed fans suspect Cindys distant daughter Cindy Jr (Mimi Keene) is responsible.

Speculation is rife in EastEnders circles, with one fan declaring on a Facebook page dedicated to the show: “Cindy Junior was the slayer….” Another concurred, saying: “I was thinking this too.”

Fans have ‘figured out’ her killer(Image: BBC/Kieron McCarron)

A third person added enthusiastically: “I would love this! ” However, some viewers have their sights set on Kojo (Dayo Koleosho), whom Cindy had been blackmailing over his encounter with Junior. Following a clandestine comment from Kojo, the rumour mill went into overdrive.

After Kojo’s vow to George that he would “make it up to you” post-affair revelation, fans took to social media to voice their suspicions. One suggested on the fan page: “My votes on Kojo, least expected.” Echoing this view, another commented: “Kojo hit cindy bc he said ‘ill make it up to you’ to george and i think they might be onto something.”

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer