EastEnders viewers are convinced Ian Beale is behind a cruel prank on Stacey Slater.

EastEnders
Ian Beale was stunned to find out Stacey hadn’t won the lottery(Image: BBC)
EastEnders fans are speculating that Ian Beale, played by Adam Woodyatt, is pulling a fast one on Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) in response to her fib about hitting the jackpot.

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Earlier this week, Stacey managed to convince Ian to breathe new life into Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) famous fruit and veg stall, which had been left dormant since his untimely passing in February. Now, Peter Beale (Thomas Law), with assistance from newcomer Oscar Branning (Pierre Moullier), is at the helm of the business.

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As Ian proudly relaunched the family-owned stall, he also set his sights on acquiring The Queen Vic.

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In a bid to unsettle Ian, Stacey and her cousin Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) concocted a tale about Stacey bagging a hefty £100k from a scratch card, funds she planned to use to buy the pub. Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) also got in on the act, lending credibility to the ruse.

EastEnders

EastEnders fans are convinced Ian Beale has pulled a cruel stunt on Stacey Slater(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes)
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However, come Wednesday (July 16), Stacey confessed that the lottery win was just a wind-up, leaving a relieved Ian even more determined to secure the beloved local, reports OK!.

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Stacey and Eve Panesar-Unwin (Heather Peace) were also rattled by an unknown man with a clipboard seen loitering outside their residence. Eve, a former lawyer, confronted him, suspecting he was a debt collector.

But when Stacey, thinking she’d missed some payments, promised to clear her debts soon, the man disclosed he was actually from a life insurance company.

Stacey’s jaw dropped when she learned Martin had named her as the life insurance beneficiary, with the payout oddly aligning with the amount she, coincidentally, claimed to have won on a scratch card.

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EastEnders
EastEnders’ Stacey Slater pretended to win £100k on a scratch card (Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Impressed by Martin’s thoughtful move to secure a life insurance policy, Stacey understood his intentions to look after family matters beyond his time.

Comfort came in knowing her children’s financial future was shielded, yet Stacey admitted to Kat that no fortune could replace Martin’s presence.

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During an intimate chat with Kat, Stacey shared her intent to distribute some of the insurance cash with Martin’s kids, Bex and Roman Allen, and divulged her dream of them running The Vic together, imagining Kat as the landlady.

But some loyal viewers of EastEnders are sceptical, questioning if the insurance windfall is a ruse from Ian responding to their earlier scratch card antics.

EastEnders
Stacey Slater tells Kat Moon of her plans to buy the Queen Vic(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
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Fans began speculating on social media, with one posting on Facebook: “Who thinks the life insurance man was a prank from Ian?”

Another followed: “Ahh! I didn’t think that they came out to see you anymore and it was all done by email or telephone these days? A bit of a bad joke though if he did. I’m surprised he didn’t ask for a policy document?”

And another fan expressed concern: “I hope not as that’s taken advantage of Martin’s death as a prank. That would be awful and enough awful stuff happens in that Square.”

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One fan pleaded: “Aw please no pranks let Stacy have something good,” while another voiced their scepticism, remarking: “Yeah don’t think that is genuine.”

EastEnders airs on BBC One and iPlayer