Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) is armed and dangerous as she confronts her mystery attacker in deadly scenes to air as part of EastEnders’ 40th anniversary.
Next week, fans look set to finally discover who attacked the Walford icon and left her for dead on Christmas Day, as the BBC soap solves a weeks-long whodunnit.
But a gun-wielding Cindy is out for blood after working out who she thinks is responsible, as lives are put in serious danger.
As viewers will remember, an unidentified assailant whacked Cindy over the head with a shovel in the Square Gardens after evidence of her steamy affair with former stepson Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) was played out in The Vic for all to hear.
The finger of suspicion has pointed at all members of the Beale and Knight families over the last few weeks, but the net closes in on Walford Whacker in forthcoming scenes.
Anniversary week for the Beales begins with Cindy and Ian (Adam Woodyatt) at each other’s throats following a revelation from Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan-Levy), who has been getting weirdly close to the chippy owner in recent days.
Later, a raging Cindy is hell-bent on exposing her attacker and interrupts Honey and Billy Mitchell’s (Emma Barton and Perry Fenwick) wedding celebrations in The Vic to make a shocking accusation.
‘She really is completely and utterly paranoid and running scared,’ says Michelle Collins, who plays Cindy.
‘The scary thing for Cindy is that she knows it’s somebody very close to her, and that’s very frightening that someone could hate her so much that they would want her dead.’
Who is The Walford Walloper in EastEnders?
Ahead of EastEnders’ 40th Anniversary next month – which will see the reveal of Cindy Beale’s attacker – Metro narrows down the key suspects in the case.
- George Knight: Told his family that he was partaking in an illegal underground boxing match, but also later asked his brother Kojo to back up his alibi. Admitted to Gina that he wasn’t at the fight.
- Elaine Peacock: Enraged that Cindy still had eyes for her husband, she could’ve whacked her through jealousy.
- Gina Knight: Was seen exiting the barrel store – where the weapon was hidden – on Christmas night. She also had a fling with Freddie Slater on the evening.
- Anna Knight: Found the shovel in the barrel store and decided to hide it for fears of her family being implicated.
- Kojo Asare: Was previously manipulated by Cindy, and promised George that he would make it up to him for hiding the affair.
- Junior Knight: Planning to flee the area in the immediate aftermath, could he be furious that the affair hit a dead end and ruined his relationship with his father? He also stole the shovel from the Vic roof.
- Ian Beale: Could’ve been responsible through an angry and jealous rage after the betrayal. He’s also welcomed Cindy back into his home… possibly to cover his tracks?
- Kathy Cotton: Lets face it, she’s never been Cindy’s biggest fan. She’d also do anything for golden boy Ian.
- Lauren Branning: Admitted that she turned over Cindy’s body in the immediate aftermath, but her memory of the night is hazy after taking illegal painkillers.
- Peter Beale: Could’ve attacked his mum over the breakdown in his family, and putting his unborn baby at risk.
- Somebody else?: Big Mo is clearly a Metro reader, as she supported our theory that Bobby Beale could be behind the vicious altercation – despite living in the Cotswolds.
Face-to-face with the person she believes wielded the shovel, Cindy publicly accuses them, leaving the wedding guests shocked to the core.
But later events take a dangerous turn when Cindy catches one of the suspects in a compromising position and points a gun at them.
Speaking about discovering the identity of her character’s attacker, Michelle reveals she was ‘shocked’, explaining: ‘I actually thought I knew who it was, but I can see why they’ve done it.
‘There are going to be some great scenes when she finds out who it is.’
With a showdown ensuing, bosses have teased that a shock twist will then turn the whole situation on its head…
We already know that next week’s anniversary episodes – which will include a live instalment on Thursday – take place over the course of a day, and will see an explosion rip through Honey and Billy’s wedding reception, raising the pub to the ground.
Will Cindy and her attacker be two of the locals caught up in the devastation?
EastEnders 40th anniversary week begins on Monday 17 February on BBC One and iPlayer.
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