User:FishLoveHam/The Six

"The Six" is a storyline from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The storyline began in episode 6649, broadcast on 20 February 2023, which featured the show's first flashforward sequence at the end of the episode. The scene showed six female EastEnders characters, Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) in The Queen Victoria public house on Christmas Day standing around an unidentified male body lying on the floor, seemingly dead. Events leading up to Christmas that year put each character in the frame to be the potential murderer, as well as several male characters to be the victim. The storyline was composed as a different type of Whodunit mystery. When Christmas Day 2023 arrived, the victim was revealed to be Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), whom Linda stabbed to death with a meat thermometer in an act of defence. Following the crime, the remainder of the storyline followed The Six's attempts to cover it up.

Storyline creation and development

The storyline began its creation in early 2022, as executive producer Chris Clenshaw had been thinking of a "blockbuster story" for 2023, and noticing that there was an appetite for a new whodunit plot in EastEnders, decided to draft one. He explained that due to the success, but recency of the "Who Killed Lucy Beale?" storyline, he decided that this one would "have a very different mechanic at its core". "The Six" differed from the typical format of a whodunit story, as both the killer and victim were kept under wraps. The different framing was employed as producers and writers believed it would be more interesting, with the structure being described by Clenshaw as "so much more than a 'whodunit'… It's a 'who-is-it' as well". He added that it was important to try a new format as it "can create intrigue and grip and excite our audience in new ways" while still remaining true to the heart of the show.

It was first teased in December 2022, with Clenshaw teasing a never-before done storyline that would commence in February 2023, and centre around Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). On 3 February, it was revealed that the upcoming story would not just focus on Linda, but also five other female characters; Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), with the women later being dubbed "The Six". Clenshaw explained that the reason why all of "The Six" were women was because "EastEnders has always had strong women at its heart", and that each individual character was chosen based on audience popularity. Clenshaw detailed that he was convinced to commission the plot as he and the team had been "looking for a vehicle for The Six [...] to come together, and we were looking for an episode to get viewers really excited as we setup an event that they'll hopefully look forward to all year".

The actresses were told that they would star in the storyline in November 2022, and were confused yet intrigued to hear about the storyline and the flash forward scene, and had a lot of questions. Despite this, they were given few details and were not told who the killer or the victim were. Taylforth commented that she was "very excited" to be part of the storyline, disclosing that "We were all quite inquisitive about what was going to happen, and who it was going to be, and all of us are still none the wiser". Parish considered the idea of a flash-forward scene to be "brilliant, bold, and brave". Dean commented: "I think we were all really excited about the storyline and to be a part of it". Bright echoed Dean's excitement, noting that she was "very intrigued" due to the limited details the cast were given. Turner was honoured to be included amongst the six, saying "this is six amazingly talented, super strong women, so I feel quite chuffed to be a part of it really". Sopal hoped her character would be the killer, as, in her words: "I think it adds an extra dangerous element to her".

In early February 2023, multiple trailers for the upcoming story were released, written by Daran Little. Ahead of the flashforward scene, which was the first in the show's history and aired on the show's 38th anniversary, Clenshaw disclosed that "[The team were] all incredibly excited for [the] episode [and] what may seem like a regular day in Walford soon takes a twist and what transpires for each and every one of them is that in a flash everything changes". Clenshaw teased that the upcoming episode would "leave the audience with a lot of questions and, what may seem like the end, is only just the beginning of some very big storylines that will play out this year". Phrases such as "in a flash, everything changes" and "for whom the bell tolls" were often used to market the storyline.

Later development

After three months, Bright teased that the storyline would "ramp up" in September 2023, as the actress explained: "That's when you'll see all that stuff come to the fore again, then we'll have a big build-up to Christmas". Clenshaw disclosed that the storyline would "dominate the autumn and the build to Christmas" as The Six would be thrown in the limelight and that it would keep viewers "guessing right up until the very end". Clenshaw said that himself and the team were "thrilled" at the reaction the storyline garnered from fans, noting that it was part of the aim, explaining "we wanted people to chat, we wanted people to speculate, we wanted everyone to come up with their own theories and share those theories with one another. We wanted it to be a storyline that actually brings the fans together, so we're absolutely over the moon that it seems to be doing that and the fans are enjoying being a part of it". Clenshaw further described the upcoming Christmas as "an ensemble affair", noting that usually one family is the focus of EastEnders Christmas episodes.

Clenshaw noted that the characters only became "The Six" after the murder was committed, explaining: "Each of those women will become The Six from Christmas Day onwards". When asked if "The Six" storyline would build towards the show's 40th anniversary in February 2025, Clenshaw responded that "there's obviously huge consequences playing into next year from the fallout of what happens at Christmas. We've got a very exciting 2024 planned. We are building to the 40th anniversary. I'm obviously not going to say too much about what we’ve got planned, it's over a year away from now! I suppose I can guarantee that it will be a huge celebration for the show".

EastEnders: The Six

In late November 2023, the show announced that a two-part spin-off chat show/documentary would air in the lead-up to Christmas. The show was named EastEnders: The Six (also titled EastEnders: The Six – Revealed), and would be hosted by Joe Swash, who formerly played Mickey Miller on EastEnders. It was set to feature the actresses who played The Six as guests. Clenshaw teased that the special would give viewers a chance to hear from the actresses, as well as to hear their theories and give "exclusive news" about the upcoming Christmas episode. It would also include recaps of each character's storylines throughout 2023. Swash enjoyed hosting the special, detailing: "I absolutely loved being back in my old stomping ground, Albert Square. EastEnders holds such great memories for me, and it felt so great to be back. I loved reconnecting with Letitia [Dean], Lacey [Turner] and Diane [Parish] who I love dearly and worked with on my last stint in the show, and it was great to meet Kellie [Bright], Gillian [Taylforth] and Balvinder [Sopal] as we looked back at some of their amazing storylines from the year".

Suspects and motives

The Six

• Denise Fox, played by Diane Parish.
• Kathy Cotton, played by Gillian Taylforth.
• Linda Carter, played by Kellie Bright.
• Sharon Watts, played by Letitia Dean.
• Stacey Slater, played by Lacey Turner.
• Suki Panesar, played by Balvinder Sopal.

The Seven

• Dean Wicks, played by Matt Di Angelo.
• Jack Branning, played by Scott Maslen.
• Keanu Taylor, played by Danny Walters.
• Nish Panesar, played by Navin Chowdhry.
• Phil Mitchell, played by Steve McFadden.
• Ravi Gulati, played by Aaron Thiara.
• Tom Cotton, played by Brian Conley.

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REWORD The dead man in question appeared to be wearing a suit (more on this in a bit) with a prominent focus on a cufflink – which will no doubt become relevant as the story unravels. But who is dead? Only 10 months to wait to find out. Following the airing of the flashforward, Clenshaw provided several reasons for each of the women to kill one of the men in their lives

AMBER CUFFLINKS .

What storylines should we be keeping an eye out for between now and Christmas? - (CC) "I think we should keep a close eye on Kathy and Rocky and their relationship. Kathy's currently unaware of the financial struggles that Rocky has found himself in. We do know that there's going to be a huge fire in the cafe and that event will have huge repercussions for the Beales as lives are left hanging in the balance. I think really you need to keep an eye out on each of those Six women. "Sharon is currently planning to move to Abu Dhabi and we know that Keanu has got a plan in motion to kind of keep her in Walford under false pretenses. In the next couple of weeks, Keanu will attempt to put his plan into action, but it will backfire and lead Keanu to stage an abduction of Albie, which I just think says so much about his relationship with Sharon, the dynamics and the differences between the two of them. "I think it was all kind of fun and lots of mischief when they were having an affair a few years ago, but they're quite different people when it comes down to it. "I think Denise and Jack's marriage has been on the rocks for the best part of this year since her kind of affair with Ravi and since she went to the hotel with him. There is going to be trouble for this couple as well. There is going to be an infidelity in the lead up to Christmas but I'm not going to say who, which one of them or who with. "And then obviously Suki and the Panesars as well. Nish will discover Suki and Eve's relationship – he will discover the affair and obviously, when that happens, all hell will break loose. Stacey's storyline isn't over and there's still much more to come with Theo and that storyline. And we've obviously spoken about Linda already."

Viewers know that a mystery male character will die this Christmas, with one of six females tipped to be the killer. The moment was teased in a flashforward in February, with Denise Fox, Suki Panesar, Stacey Slater, Kathy Beale, Sharon Watts and Linda Carter all stood over a dead body in The Queen Vic, while the male's identity is not known. It seems like a showdown has occurred as all the women are either covered in blood or their clothes are ripped. Since the clip aired, clues have been dropped across social media and in episodes which hint at what happens. From hints of a past link to another episode, cufflink clues, to victims and motives being shared online, there's a number of theories as to what happens. There's been loads of clues recently so here are the latest ones, and some you may have missed.

The body in the flashforward clip was shown wearing a pair of amber cufflinks which suddenly made their debut on the show a few months ago, revealed to belong to Nish Panesar. Nish lost them to Rocky Cotton in a poker game, and he gave them to Jack Branning. Now, Phil Mitchell has them in his possession after Jack gave them to him on his wedding day. So does Phil die, or will they end up being passed on to someone else?

Dean

Speculation surrounding Dean Wicks focused on his sexual assault of Linda in 2014, and his return to the show shortly before Christmas. Immediately before the flashforward scene, Kathy assured Linda that if Dean ever stepped foot back in Walford, she would have an army of friends supporting her to keep him from getting near her, with some believing it was a hint. Dean returned for his daughter, Jade Masood (Elizabeth Green) shortly before Christmas, with Clenshaw teasing that Linda would "struggle in the wake of [Dean's] return". Clenshaw explained that Dean was returning as "a man on the square without any allies", making him "very dangerous", and thus a likely candidate to be murdered. He further entertained the idea of Dean being the victim as he was yet to receive retribution for his actions, explaining: "We always knew we were going to bring Dean back for Linda's storyline this year. He's a character that has such a historical connection to the show, and as we all know, he didn't get his comeuppance".

[MATT DI ANGELO INTERVIEW]

Jack

Jack Branning was considered a suspect because of the crumbling of his marriage to Denise Fox. Clenshaw teased an affair between Denise and Ravi and an "explosive" reaction from Jack upon discovery. Jack also gained possession of the amber cufflinks in July 2023. Some speculated that Jack may die due to embarking on an affair with Stacey, only for a jealous Denise to find out.

[SCOTT MASLEN INTERVIEW]

Keanu

Keanu's status as a suspect was justified through his fling with Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), without Sharon knowing, his return only a year before Christmas 2023, and kidnapping his and Sharon's son in a scheme that he concocted with his mother Karen for ransom money. The flashforward scene also showed Sharon wearing a wedding dress, and as Keanu and Sharon had restarted their relationship, this added to speculation. Chris Clenshaw teased Keanu as a potential suspect as "just as quickly as Sharon and Keanu reunited, she discovered that he and Sam have history too, leaving Sharon newly single. However, as we know, Sharon's wearing a wedding dress at Christmas, so watch out for many twists, turns, and plenty of heartbreak along the way". Speaking out on his character's fate, Walters commented: "I think, in fantastic EastEnders style, over the months, you'll see a lot more conflicting relationships with other characters. I think there won't just be Keanu, but there'll be other characters that will get themselves in situations where we'll start to question: 'Could it be them?' "But regarding that topic, my lips are sealed still. I wish I could say, but I actually don't know". Keanu was ruled out as being the body on the floor as on-set photos from the shoot showed Keanu wearing a grey suit, which he was ruled out as the body on the floor in the flashforward was wearing a black suit. He was also ruled out for being generally one of the last deserving suspects of a punishment.

Nish

Clenshaw - "Suki's struggling in her marriage with Nish and is desperately trying to convince herself that she doesn’t have feelings for Eve. As the year progresses, Suki will uncover truths, have her relationships tested but ultimately her biggest secret could push her to the extreme.

Suki (Balvinder Sopal) and husband Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) made Linda an offer for The Vic, with Nish hoping to oust Sharon as buyer as he went back on his offer to buy into her gym. As for Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), she was still angry over Ryan Malloy's (Neil McDermott) treatment of her and daughter Lily (Lillia Turner). Stacey resolved to stay in the pub until Linda called time, as Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) rushed out to avoid the woman she loves, Suki.

Last month, Nish actor Navin Chowdhry hinted that fans will have to pay special attention to what happens to the cufflinks throughout the year. "I am aware that Nish is the number one contender to die at Christmas," he recently told The Mirror. "I think the main clue is to follow the cufflinks. There's some stuff we filmed recently about the cufflinks so look out for that and follow the cufflinks."

Our top pick for now has to be Nish - but that could all change based on whatever evidence may come to light in the future. At the moment, Nish certainly serves as EastEnders' villainous frontrunner, with his controlling hold over Suki, who spent years building herself back up only to find herself trapped with him once more.

Nish is a sharp dresser, and the body we only caught a glimpse of looked to be suited and booted. That cufflink has also got to hold some significance, so we'll have to wait and see whether such a link is established as Nish continues his menacing ways throughout 2023. Other clues include Suki's reaction in the flash-forward, and the fact that Kathy's first thought was to turn to Suki. What's the reason behind this? Has Suki killed her abusive husband in self-defence? Whether Suki is the perpetrator or not, that doesn't rule Nish out as the deceased.

Gillian Taylforth has confirmed that Nish Panesar will receive his comeuppance for taking her character Kathy Beale's honeymoon in EastEnders. In Thursday's episode, Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) gambled away his and Kathy's honeymoon in a poker game with nasty Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry). Nish won the trip and was smug to take it from Rocky, who realised he was left with another calamity to come clean about to Kathy. Next week, Rocky will be left terrified as Kathy's grandson Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell) and Rocky's surrogate daughter Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) encourage him to come clean. When speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, actress Gillian Taylforth was asked if Nish taking Rocky and Kathy's honeymoon would link to him potentially being the body teased in the Christmas flash-forward in February. However, Taylforth did not seem so convinced that the honeymoon theft would be a motive to kill Nish, despite him being at the top of many lists of theorised victims for the Christmas death. Taylforth confirmed: "I don't think it could be linked to that. But karma is a great thing. And he does get a comeuppance for that, anyway, for stealing my honeymoon. Don't worry about that." Despite this, Taylforth confirmed that she and the other actresses behind 'The Six' do have their own theories about the body. "And they both looked and laughed. They said, 'You'll never'... it'll never come out of their lips up or I'll know." Taylforth then revealed that Batten had teased: "It's funny how you're wondering who it's going to be when none of you has thought who's actually killed the person?" However, she concluded: "So we've got no idea whatsoever." We'll have to wait and see whether Nish Panesar really does turn out to be the dead body at Christmas.

Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) secretly holds a love for Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) – and killer Nish (Navin Chowdhry) is on the cusp of discovering the truth – with undoubtedly terrifying consequences.

Phil

There might seem no reason for Phil to feature on this list, but EastEnders has placed Phil in the firing line so many times. He's survived each and every one of his near-death experiences, and the idea of Phil actually being killed off is unthinkable; but this is supposed to be his wedding day, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he was central to the action! Phil has somewhat reformed himself recently, but a lot can happen between now and December, so perhaps he crosses a line and ends up dead for real this time?

Hardcore EastEnders fans have turned into detectives in recent months following the flashforward episode that teased an upcoming Christmas day murder. The episode, which aired in February, showed a group of Walford’s most iconic women, who have come to be nicknamed The Six, gathered around a mystery dead body, presumably having killed him. Ever since that fateful day, viewers have been on the lookout for clues, and here on the Metro.co.uk Soaps desk it is no different. (What do you mean not everybody has a detective-style murder board dedicated to solving this mystery?) One EastEnders fan is clearly on our level, and has taken to Reddit to share their theories over why they believe Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) will be the murder victim, and, after sprinkling in some of the clues we’ve picked up on ourselves, we’re starting to wonder if they could be bang on the money. They gave a whole host of reasons to support their theory, but the one that stood out to us the most was a very special date. If, like us, you have regularly returned to the EastEnders YouTube channel to watch the REEvisited episode with the flash forward scene, then you may have noticed that it was published on February 20. ‘But why is this important?’ We hear you cry! Well, February 20 1990 was the exact date that Phil Mitchell made his debut on Albert Square. Could the fact that this episode was posted on this exact date prove that he is the Christmas day victim? Maybe not, if you look at it as a standalone piece of evidence, but throw in some other clues and we’re sure the cogs will start to whir in your brain. On top of that, he lost the Queen Vic to Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and his son was the one responsible for the death of Suki Panesar’s (Balvinder Sopal) youngest child. The fan also pointed out his longing running feud with Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), suggesting that if Keanu is the man that Sharon ends up marrying, Phil may lash out in anger and end up being killed in self defence. They also suggested that Ross Kemp’s return to acting could pave the way for an EastEnders return, and what other sure fire way to bring back Grant Mitchell is there than to kill off his brother? If all of that wasn’t enough to convince you, we’ve also done some digging of our own, and uncovered a huge hint that you may have missed. Back in April, Stacey, wearing red (you’ll know the importance of this if you’ve read our handy guide to all the flash forward clues!), had a conversation with Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) who said the line: ‘Who knows what will be this time next year?’ As she said it, the camera was on Phil, leaving us wondering exactly where Phil might be next year… Will he even still be around? EastEnders' Stacey icon Lacey Turner reveals her very surprising hobby. There are now 11, yes 11, people living at The Vic and EastEnders fans are bewildered. Beloved couple finally set for a reunion as they spend the night together in EastEnders. Three dramatic exits confirmed as EastEnders legend quits. While the Reddit user pointed out that Steve McFadden has been taking some hiatuses of late, we’re about to take that a step further. It was announced earlier this year that Steve will be appearing in panto this Christmas, meaning that he will likely have to take time away from filming EastEnders. Or will he, if Phil has already been killed off? So, after analysing all of that evidence, what do you think? Could Phil be the body on the floor? Those cufflinks are certainly right up his street…

EastEnders has aired another clue to the BBC soap's forthcoming Christmas murder, and it relates to a certain pair of amber cufflinks, which were memorably seen on the lifeless body of a mystery male character during a flashforward scene. As Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) prepared for his low-key wedding to Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) was seen chatting rather amicably with Phil - a rare sight indeed! "Take care of these, they're Nish's, so they're probably expensive," instructed Jack as he handed over the cufflinks, last seen as a prize during a high-stakes poker game on Rocky Cotton's (Brian Conley) stag night. "Lost mine, in a ruck I think!" Phil replied, after thanking Jack. How these two became so friendly is a mystery for another day, as the bigger concern is whether this now means that Phil will be the murder victim come Christmas Day. Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) interrupted Jack and Phil's banter, noticing the cufflinks. Could it be his pulse that she checks in December while wearing a wedding dress? It could be a red herring, but fans (including us, naturally) will be watching closely to see if the cufflinks are passed on to another Walford local in the coming weeks. When Phil explained himself and promised that he loved Kat, Alfie urged Phil to promise that he would keep Kat and their sons safe. After Phil agreed, he wondered why Alfie hadn't rushed to tell Kat the truth yet. Alfie replied that he might not be around for much longer, leading Phil to realise that Alfie must have lied when he claimed to have got the all-clear from prostate cancer. Will Alfie confide in Phil? And will the nuptials go ahead, given Phil's cheating?

Ravi

He did the gentlemanly thing in turning Denise down when she was worse for wear - but Ravi is Nish's son and another schemer through and through! Let's not forget that Suki still doesn't know that Ravi killed his adoptive father Ranveer (Anil Goutam) last year, leaving her to believe she had struck the fatal blow. Her son Kheerat (Jaz Deol) took the fall for Suki, but when she inevitably discovers that it should have been Ravi who was sent to prison, could things turn nasty? We also don't yet know how far Ravi's dalliance with Denise will go, so what if they do embark on a long-running affair and Ravi pays with his life? It's worth noting that Denise might well have been holding the murder weapon. Ravi is also being investigated by the police, so there's a lot of drama woven into this character's story. Will it be cut short during the festive season?

Denise Fox (Diane Parish) recently revealed to Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) that he was under investigation by Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) in EastEnders, and in turn may have signed both men’s death warrants. Ravi is a dangerous character, as viewers saw when he murdered his own father shortly after arriving on the Square last year. With Jack now digging into his criminal history, we wouldn’t put it past Ravi to want to silence him. Having put Denise on the case of digging up whatever information Jack has, it is clear that he is concerned about what Jack already knows. It is safe to say that Denise’s heart lies firmly with her husband, despite her fling with Ravi. Could that be further justification in Ravi’s mind to want Jack dead? However, if Ravi did go through with killing Jack, he would certainly have to watch his back. Denise may have fallen for his charms once, but she is unlikely to do so again if she found out that her lover was responsible for the breakdown of her family.

EastEnders fans are convinced they have worked out who dies on Christmas Day, after clues in a new flashforward clip and the latest episode. Ravi Gulati is tipped to be killed off amid new drama involving Denise Fox, Jack Branning, Chelsea Fox and Nish Panesar. The fact it was released just after Ravi tore Denise and Jack's marriage apart, and after his rows with Jack and Nish, suggested to many that he could be the victim. Several characters turned against Ravi and it was even teased he could leave Walford, so is this a big sign of what is to come for him? His young son Nugget was furious with his dad, and feared he was going to lose him - so could this fear be foreshadowing a demise for Ravi? Perhaps the ringing of the bell in The Vic in the teaser could be signifying 'last orders' for Ravi after his fight with Jack and his drama with Denise boiling over. One thing viewers connected was the green dress Denise is wearing on Christmas Day, to the outfit Ravi had on in this week's episodes. Viewers commented that Ravi was wearing a green tie, so is this a clue that he dies and is maybe killed by Denise? After the body was shown wearing cufflinks in the original flashforward, some fans also thought they spotted Ravi wearing them or similar cufflinks on Tuesday night.

EastEnders star Aaron Thiara has teased that his character Ravi Gulati may be facing a violent end this Christmas, as his Walford enemy count continues to climb. The soap aired a special flashforward episode in February, which saw a group of female characters referred to as 'The Six' standing around the dead body of an unidentified man. Fans are still in the dark about who the deceased character is, but many fans have theorised that Ravi is likely to be the unfortunate victim due to his villainous behaviour and long list of enemies. Now actor Thiara has added fuel to the fire of speculation, telling The Mirror that there is "every possibility" that Ravi's time in Walford might be up. "It's quite hard to fathom that Ravi's made so many enemies in such a short amount of time," he said, speaking at the British Soap Awards last weekend. "There's every possibility that it's going to come to him, you never know." The actor added that he has been loving reading all the fan theories that have flooded social media, revealing that even the soap's cast don't yet know the truth."The producers have done such a fantastic job of keeping it so conspicuous and away from us. Even we're trying to work it out," he said. Ravi may well have a target on his back, having caused no end of trouble in Albert Square since his arrival. His affair with Denise Fox has caused huge tension with her and her husband Jack Branning, while he has also caused major trouble for Keanu Taylor. He certainly isn't the only potential victim though, with other popular guesses for the body including Keanu, Nish Panesar, Phil Mitchell, or even a new character. We also don't yet know which character is responsible for the murder, with the flashforward scene featuring six potential killers - Denise, Kathy Beale, Linda Carter, Sharon Watts, Stacey Slater and Suki Panesar.

Ravi is hotly tipped to be the victim on the floor this Christmas, and recent clues are only adding to the theory. His former fling Denise Fox recently made a comment about him that could have been a major hint. In a recent episode, Jack urged Denise to attend a family meal where Ravi would be for Chelsea's sake. As Jack called for them to attend she said: "Over my dead body." Later, Jack said of the event: "It's hardly gonna kill us to be nice for a couple of hours will it?" Given Ravi's recent antics, Suki, Denise, Stacey and Sharon might all want to hurt Ravi. Kathy looks as Suki in the flashforward as if the victim is linked to her, and then there's the fact Ravi's recent outfits have matched some of the coloured dresses worn at Christmas.

EastEnders fans have seemingly ruled out one character as the Christmas murder victim. Back in February, a chilling flashforward sequence saw Linda Carter, Suki Panesar, Stacey Slater, Denise Fox, Sharon Watts and Kathy Beale looming over a male corpse in The Vic, leading to ongoing speculation and theories. However, some viewers think that Walford villain Ravi Gulati is safe. Next month will see a secret child story for Ravi, as his ex-girlfriend Priya arrives with their daughter Avani. As a result, there is speculation that this storyline will make Ravi too important a character to be killed off in just a few months' time. "Okay, with Ravi's ex and kid coming, I highly doubt he's the body, but I can't help but feel Nish is going and maybe even before Christmas," said one person on Twitter/X. "OMG! Well, this is a turn-up for the books," said another. "My initial reaction was that it can't be Ravi @AaronThiara that gets killed at Xmas (not that I want it to be), or they wouldn't be bringing them in, would they?" A third wrote: "This is exciting... Ravi can't be on the floor now, surely??" And yet, a fourth EastEnders fan offered an alternate take. "Sorry, but Ravi suddenly having a secret daughter doesn't automatically rule him out as being the Christmas body. The way things are going currently, he's definitely still very much in the running, that's for sure," said the post. Earlier this week, Suki Panesar actress Balvinder Sopal heaped praise on the soap's Christmas storyline. "The fact that EastEnders is matching Suki up with other members of the Walford community as part of 'The Six' is absolutely brilliant, and the fact they are all women is amazing. It bumps up that sisterhood feeling, and it puts powerful women at the forefront of storytelling about connection, friendship and love," she said. "I think it's really important to see strong bonds between these women where they can support and help each other through difficult times."

Denise Fox (Diane Parish) discovered Ravi Gulati’s (Aaron Thiara) dangerous side as their war heated up.

Rocky

Clenshaw - "Kathy's planning to tie the knot with Rocky but we know with Rocky he has a past so just what will catch up with him?

It’s the biggest whodunnit in soap as we all scratch for clues to a killing that hasn’t happened yet. When EastEnders teased the dramatic events that will unfold on Christmas Day 2023 in a special and genre-busting flash-forward episode, there were theories everywhere as to who the male victim could be. And as well as the fans speculating, the cast have also been scratching their heads trying to work out what’s going to happen. The special sequence, shown in May, showed Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) walking into the Vic on Christmas Day and discovering a dead body on the floor. Also present were Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner). Clues abounded, from Sharon’s wedding dress, Denise holding a broken bottle, Stacey with blood on her hands and a strategically placed suit of armour (which later turned out to belong to the Knight family). It all ensures that from now on until Christmas every episode is going to be mined for hints about the drama that will develop over the festive season. Brian Conley, who’s looking forward to some drama in the immediate future as his character Rocky prepares to get married to Kathy Beale, is as intrigued by the mystery as anyone else. ‘I’ve got a bit of a shiver now,’ he admitted as he talked about the Christmas storyline. ‘We do all sit there in the green room going “Is it you? Is it you? What’s going to happen? I don’t know.”’ What he is certain of is that it’ll be a major character who dies in the episode in question. One of the hints in the flash-forward sequence was the the dead character was wearing cufflinks. As Rocky’s wedding approaches, will he be wearing a similar set of cufflinks with his wedding suit? Brian reckons it’s a possibility – but at this stage, the Christmas corpse could be anyone. He credits the show’s boss, Chris Clenshaw, with creating a scenario that has got everyone talking. ‘We do talk about it. None of us have got a clue. I know that there’s maybe two or three people who are aware of where it might go and even that might change. Online they’ve got their own theories. Someone said because of the different colours [worn by the women in the flash-forward] – you’ve got someone dressed in green, someone in red – they said that is the London Underground map. You’ve got the Bakerloo line, you’ve got the Central line. People have tried to work out this sort of scenario.’ he sees himself being in EastEnders long term, Brian said he would ‘love to be there,’ but he was realistic about his chances given that a major character is certain to exit in December. ‘I might only last till Christmas, and that’s the fun of it!’ he said. ‘I think as actors we all live on tenterhooks to a small degree because you could be written out in two weeks or a week. For me that makes it exciting as well, because you don’t know. I think it keeps everyone’s game up.’

Since then, we have seen Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) marry Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) but as his debts spiral, he will take shocking action and torch the cafe – which will be a horrific shock for Kathy, particularly as her relatives are in the centre of the peril.

Trends, polls, statistics, and other theories

Clenshaw - "Not only has Stacey been dealing with the rising cost of living, but also struggling to keep her pregnant daughter out of harm's way. This year Stacey finds herself doing something she's never done before in an effort to protect her family and unborn grandchild.

Ryan Malloy may have walked away from Walford again last week, but he did so looking and sounding like a very cruel and bitter man. In the aftermath, with Ryan having cut down his child support payments and then having the nerve to ask for Lily to stay with him come Christmas, Stacey revealed that she'd "love to throttle him".

An offhand comment, yes, but with cousin Kat Slater's (Jessie Wallace) wedding to Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) now confirmed for Christmas Day especially to keep Lily around, might Ryan make his way back to try and kidnap her? If so, could this lead to a fight that turns physical, leading to Ryan being fatally injured? After all, Stacey was the one with blood on her hands...

Even the most casual of EastEnders fans will have noticed a pretty big gap in this list of families. That’s right, there are no Mitchells. While some may argue that this points to Sharon once again rekindling her romance with Phil (Steve McFadden) – hence the wedding dress – we think it’s more likely to be someone with pure Mitchell blood, thanks to another massive hint. Within the first two minutes of the flash forward episode, eagle eyed viewers will spot an out of order sign on the fruit machine as Denise heads to the bar to get a drink, which wasn’t there in the previous episode. To understand the significance of this minor detail, we need to take you all the way back to 2005, and the murder of a little-known character by the name of Dirty Den… Den was murdered in the Queen Vic following a showdown with three furious, scorned women. Are you seeing any similarities? During the confrontation, Den smashed wife Chrissie Watts’ head against the fruit machine, leaving a huge crack along the glass, which Chrissie would later repair in order to cover up the murder. It would later transpire that Chrissie had delivered the fatal blow, with Sam watching on from the shadows. With Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) in on the secret, thanks to Zoe telling all before going on the run, she made a big deal about pointing out the crack in the fruit machine to the Queen Vic punters, leaving Chrissie rattled. After digging up Den’s body in a bid to prove that it was Chrissie who killed him, Sam was arrested herself for the crime, but was later released after a tape containing Chrissie’s confession emerged. With Kim Medcalf having reprised her role as the feisty sister of the Mitchell brothers, could she be set to fall head first into another dramatic murder storyline upon returning from her current extended break? Will Sam Mitchell turn The Six into The Seven?

All eyes are on what will happen to the residents of Walford over the EastEnders Christmas period. Earlier in the year it was revealed that one character would die and there would be six women in the frame for the mystery man's murder. Now that Cindy (Michelle Collins) and Ian (Adam Woodyatt) are back on EastEnders, will they be tied up with the drama? Speaking at a recent press event to press including RadioTimes.com, Executive Producer, Chris Clenshaw, hinted that there could be a huge festive season on the cards for the newly-reinstated Beales. He said: "You know, it’s the Beales and Cindy’s first Christmas back in Walford. It will be a big Christmas in the Beales’s house." Will they get wrapped up in the Christmas flash-forward drama? At the moment, all we know is that a man will be killed - but who is the victim? Could Cindy serve as a seventh suspect? And could Ian end up dead on the Queen Vic floor?

One eagle-eyed viewer of the BBC soap is convinced they've worked out which of the six women could be the killer after spotting a clever clue from the promotional pictures, which see the women in six different colour dresses. Taking to Twitter, the fan shared their thoughts on the photos, writing: "I've noticed in the Six’s posters everyone has a hand on their hip, in a powerful domineering stance apart from Linda who has her hands down in front of her in a more defensive stance. "Could this be a hint that the others are protecting Linda from potentially Dean?" Could Linda's stance give away that she is the Christmas killer, and that the others are protecting her - or even that the others killed the man in a bid to protect Linda from something or someone?

Christmas is drawing ever closer, and with it EastEnders' huge festive storyline - a murder mystery centred around a male corpse laying on the floor of The Queen Vic. We've been delving into all the possibilities to try and figure out just which character might be heading for death at the end of the year, and Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott) is a strong contender. He made a surprise return to Walford earlier this year, and his timing was certainly intriguing. So, is Ryan the murder victim? Read on as we explore all the clues. Just before EastEnders gathered together a group of wronged women, including Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Ryan made a brief but eventful return to Albert Square. The timing of this, and the fact that Ryan's behaviour was appalling - as his nasty side was witnessed by Lily (Lillia Turner), the daughter he shares with Stacey - only made us suspect Ryan as the potential murder victim by the time that flash-forward aired... Ryan also made plans to spend Christmas with Lily, so will he make a last minute return? During the same episode that aired the flash-forward, Stacey was heard saying that she'd "love to throttle" Ryan, after he demanded to have Lily over this Christmas - despite his attitude upsetting Lily. At the time, Kat Mitchell (Jessie Wallace) planned her wedding to Phil (Steve McFadden) for 25th December, so that Lily would be able to stay in Walford. But with the nuptials going ahead already, Ryan could get back in touch and insist on picking Lily up. Could a fight between him and Stacey turn physical, seeing her act on her earlier remark? Blood on Stacey's hands We've already considered that the blood on Stace's hands during the flash-forward could link her to her stalker Theo Hawthorne (William Ellis). But after recent events, might Theo make a return at Christmas? Therefore, the blood could instead be a hint that Stacey is connected to a different character - and with Stacey and the rest of 'The Six' toasting that men should "get what they deserve", we can see Ryan fitting the bill if he turns on Stacey once more. Still, RadioTimes.com has been speculating that there could be a seventh lady on the scene of the murder, and Whit could be present, and find herself involved in an altercation after witnessing far too many evil men in her time. If she's not there, though, the possibility of Ryan being murdered could still play a part in her exit, with it being one bad memory too many for her to stick around for. There's a suit of armour behind Stacey during the flash-forward that we've been pondering over rather a lot, as it hints at a saviour for an in-distress Stace. With this placing Stacey central to the story, it's yet another clue that Ryan could be the one to end up murdered at Christmas, with Theo perhaps being too obvious a choice. With Ryan absent for most of thew year, it would be quite the twist, yet believable, to see him make another volatile cameo, with fatal consequences.

Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) has been viciously stalked and attacked by sinister Theo – and we haven’t seen the last of that.

Plot

In February 2023, after Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) have a lock-in at The Queen Victoria public house, they complain about the men in their lives before toasting: "To men, may they get what they deserve". The screen then flashes forward to the pub on Christmas Day, where the women are shown surrounding an unidentifiable male body on the floor. Stacey is shown with blood on her hands, Sharon is wearing a wedding dress, Denise is holding a broken wine bottle, and Linda has a busted lip. Sharon checks the man's pulse before declaring that he is seemingly dead.

Christmas Day

Sharon runs, Linda drinks, Denise spirals, Kathy divorces, Nish wakes

Body found and Sharon arrest

Linda frames Dean

Reception

Laura Denby of Radio Times praised the flashforward scene, calling the decision "inventive and refreshing" and that "this brand new 'whodunnit' may have officially restored the long-running serial drama to its former glory". Nicole Vassell of The Independent reported that viewers had generally reacted favourably towards the scene, opining that: "It's giving Big Little Lies. It's giving "Cell Block Tango". It's perfect". Angie Quinn of MyLondon reported that fans were "gripped" following the airing of the flash-forward. Charlotte Tutton of Daily Mirror described the scene as "special" and "explosive". Dan Seddon of Digital Spy called the flashforward scene "chilling". Stefania Sarrubba of Radio Times described the plotline as "Knives Out meets How to Get Away with Murder", considering it to be the show's "most ambitious storyline to date". Sue Haasler of Metro called The Six "the biggest whodunit in soap", adding that the flashforward scene was "special and genre-busting". Clenshaw noted that since the airing of the flashforward scene, "there has been an overwhelming amount of speculation around the body in question and which one of our six Walford matriarchs might be responsible".

References

Category:EastEnders storylines Category:2023 in British television Category:2024 in British television Category:Whodunit storylines in soap operas