Get ready for an explosive week in Walford as long-buried secrets detonate, alliances shatter, and lives are irrevocably changed! EastEnders is set to deliver two seismic bombshells courtesy of the returning schemer, Cindy Beale, in an early iPlayer release that will leave viewers reeling. Meanwhile, Kathy Beale finds herself cornered by Cindy’s ruthless machinations, facing an impossible choice with potentially devastating consequences.

The week kicks off with the fallout from Cindy’s shocking revelations. Having stumbled upon Kathy and Harvey Monroe’s clandestine affair and secretly recorded their incriminating kiss during Ian Beale’s ill-timed welcome home party for baby Jimmy, Cindy has been holding a ticking time bomb. In today’s dramatic episode, the truth explodes as Cindy confronts a stunned Kathy with the damning footage.

But Cindy’s scheming doesn’t end there. Exploiting both the affair and Kathy’s involvement in the Christmas Day attack, Cindy attempts to blackmail Kathy into signing over the Albert and two other businesses. Kathy, initially defiant, refuses to succumb to Cindy’s demands. However, Cindy plays her trump card, reminding Kathy that Harvey unwittingly provided her with an alibi, effectively covering up an attempted murder.

With the walls closing in and only hours to make a decision, a desperate Kathy confides in Harvey, revealing the horrifying predicament she’s in and finally admitting her responsibility for Cindy’s attack. Torn between protecting her secret and the potential ruin Cindy threatens, Kathy attempts to come clean to a blissfully unaware Ian. However, witnessing her son’s relief at finally being free from Cindy’s presence, Kathy’s resolve crumbles, and she chooses silence.

Instead, Kathy seeks out Cindy, offering to sign over the businesses in exchange for the deletion of the incriminating video. But Cindy, sensing an opportunity to tighten her grip, initially refuses to compromise. It’s only when Kathy shrewdly points out that pursuing legal action or financially crippling Ian would destroy any possibility of Cindy ever reconciling with her family that Cindy begrudgingly agrees.

A fragile truce is seemingly reached as Kathy arrives at the Vic, assuring a relieved Harvey that the video has been deleted. As Ian raises a toast to celebrate, the atmosphere of tentative peace is shattered by Cindy’s dramatic entrance. With a triumphant smirk, she announces herself as the new owner of the Albert, leaving her loved ones aghast.

In the aftermath of Cindy’s audacious move, she attempts to mend bridges with a devastated Peter Beale, who is furious at her blackmailing his grandmother. However, Cindy’s attempts at reconciliation are overshadowed by her simmering resentment. Unable to comprehend why she continues to face consequences for her past actions while Kathy’s secrets remain hidden, Cindy decides to unleash her ultimate weapon during Elaine Peacock’s celebratory toast to the newly engaged Harvey and Jean Slater.

Connecting her phone to the pub’s projector, Cindy plays the footage of Kathy and Harvey’s illicit kiss for everyone to see. Unbeknownst to Kathy, Cindy had not deleted every copy of the video, a fact that Gene Slater discovers with utter disbelief as he witnesses Harvey’s shocking betrayal of his mother. How will Jean process this devastating news, and what will be the repercussions for Kathy and Harvey’s relationship?

Meanwhile, another volatile situation is brewing as Ravi Gulati’s protective instincts towards his daughter, Avani Nandra-Hart, reach boiling point. Viewers with long memories will recall Ravi’s ruthless nature, and anyone who crosses his family does so at their peril.

Avani has been growing closer to newcomer Joel, who arrived from Australia earlier this year. Their connection deepened to the point where Avani chose him for her first sexual experience, completely unaware of Joel’s sinister secret: he secretly recorded their encounter and later showed the footage to Tommy Moon.

As the week unfolds, the disturbing truth about Joel’s past comes to light. It’s revealed that his family was forced to flee Sydney due to his history of troubling behavior towards girls, culminating in an upskirting incident that left his father, Ross, with a hefty debt to the victim’s family.

Adding to the complexity, Ross and his partner, Vicky Fowler, inadvertently walked in on Avani and Joel during their second intimate encounter. While Vicky initially found the situation amusing, the gravity of Joel’s past soon becomes apparent. Ross, discovering the incriminating video of Avani, forces his son to delete it – or so he believes.

Vicky, deeply concerned, suggests that Ross speak to Avani’s parents about the teenagers’ relationship, but she harbors serious worries about the potential fallout if they discover the truth about the recording. Their hushed conversation is overheard by a suspicious Suki Panesar, who demands to know why her granddaughter is having secret discussions with an older boy.

Faced with conflicting stories, Suki confronts Ross directly and is horrified to learn the truth about Avani and Joel’s intimacy. She urges Avani to confide in her mother, Priya, but Avani’s embarrassment forces Suki to break the news herself. Unbeknownst to the women, a furious Ravi overhears their conversation, and a red mist descends.

Ravi storms out into the Square, his rage palpable. Spotting Joel, he bursts into his home, pinning the terrified teenager against the wall. Ross, witnessing the attack, leaps to his son’s defense, and a violent brawl erupts. It’s left to a distraught Avani to intervene, tearfully confessing to her father that her encounter with Joel was consensual.

Seeking solace, Avani breaks down in Suki’s arms in the park, admitting that her actions were driven by a desperate desire to feel wanted. Will Avani ever be able to overcome this traumatic experience? And what will Ravi’s reaction be when he inevitably discovers the existence of the sex tape?

In another developing storyline, Zack Hudson, still reeling from the tragic loss of baby Peach and Whitney Dean taking their daughter Dolly away, has been attempting to forge a relationship with his teenage son, Barney Mitchell, from a previous fling with Nicola. However, Nicola is determined to keep the truth about Barney’s parentage from both the boy and his adoptive father, Teddy.

When a brutal beating orchestrated by Nicola’s thugs fails to deter Zack, she resorts to even more sinister threats, revealing her involvement in Shireen Bashir’s death and warning Zack, Whitney, and Dolly that they could be next if he doesn’t back off.

With Whitney in hiding, Zack makes plans to flee Walford himself, intending to take Barney with him. This decision comes after a conversation with Whitney, who informs him that she has found a safe place for herself and the girls away from Nicola’s reach. Vicky suggests Zack visit them, creating some distance between him and the Mitchells.

However, Zack’s plans take a dramatic turn after an encounter with Barney, who confesses his feelings of isolation from his family. Moved by Barney’s vulnerability, Zack tells Vicky that he will visit Whitney and the girls, but he intends to bring Barney along.

Determined to protect his son, Zack begins to gather evidence suggesting that Barney is not safe with Nicola and Teddy. However, his audacious plan to effectively abduct Barney leaves Vicky deeply worried. Can she dissuade Zack from his dangerous scheme before he incurs the wrath of the formidable Mitchells?

Finally, the dark Joel storyline takes another heartbreaking turn as Avani makes a devastating confession to Suki. Following her sexual encounter with Joel, and the subsequent discovery of the secretly recorded video by Joel’s father, Ross, Avani is deeply embarrassed to discuss the situation.

“I don’t want another inquisition,” she tells her grandmother in the Square, but Suki is determined to uncover the truth. At home, she gently questions Avani, ensuring she wasn’t pressured into her decision. “I just wish you waited a bit longer,” Suki says, wanting Avani’s first time to be special.

“We wanted to do it, so we did it. It’s not a big deal,” Avani insists, trying to appear unfazed. “It’s not even that deep. We had fun,” she adds, claiming her brief relationship with Joel is already over.

Despite Avani’s attempts to downplay the situation, a concerned Suki confides in Eve Unwin, who tries to offer reassurance, but Suki remains troubled. Unable to let it go, Suki alerts her daughter Priya about Avani and Joel. “There is something bothering Avani,” Suki reveals, explaining that her granddaughter slept with Joel and suggesting he took advantage of her vulnerability. Unbeknownst to Suki, Ravi is within earshot, his fury ignited by the news.

Ravi’s explosive confrontation with Joel and Ross ensues, only to be halted by Avani’s tearful admission that her actions were consensual. While Ross agrees not to press charges, he warns Ravi to stay away. Suki comforts a distraught Avani, empathizing with her desire to feel wanted. “I just wanted to feel wanted,” Avani sobs, finally acknowledging that her experience with Joel wasn’t the carefree encounter she initially portrayed.

“You are so wanted, and you are worth so much more than you realize,” Suki reassures her, embracing her granddaughter. In poignant final scenes, Priya rushes to comfort Avani as the entire family rallies around her, offering their unwavering support. But the question remains: will Avani ever discover the existence of the video that Joel secretly recorded, and what will be the devastating consequences if she does?

Next week in EastEnders promises a rollercoaster of emotions, shocking revelations, and dramatic confrontations that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats. Don’t miss a single moment as the lives of Walford residents are irrevocably altered by the explosive secrets that are finally brought to light.