EastEnders 2025 preview: 12 spoilers for the year ahead

Buckle up as RadioTimes.com reveals the sensational storylines set to turn Walford upside down…

The Queen Vic explodes

The centrepiece of the eagerly-awaited 40th anniversary is set to be a spectacular stunt in the heart of Albert Square, as the iconic Queen Vic pub is ravaged by a fire.

Secrecy surrounds the alleged inferno, but word is the whole community will be involved, and not everyone will make it out alive.

The iconic boozer has been blown up before, most memorably in 2010 when Phil accidentally burnt it down driving mum Peggy out of Walford. Will the Mitchells cause 2025’s fire, and who will survive the blaze?

Grant returns

The mighty Mitchells will have enough going on as the anniversary draws near, what with Grant coming home for the soap’s milestone.

Yes, the rumours have finally been confirmed that Ross Kemp will reprise his legendary role as Phil’s brother for a short stint, and while the reasons for his reappearance are yet to be revealed, the character is definitely back with a bang.

"I’m delighted to be returning to EastEnders," says Kemp. "It’s an absolute honour. Grant has never been far from the action, and let’s just say this time is no different…"

Cindy's attacker revealed

Cindy paid for her sins on Christmas Day when she was bashed over the head with a shovel following the exposure of her and Junior’s affair.

The identity of her mystery attacker will be revealed in the week of the anniversary, so start placing your bets – though seeing as the Beales and Knights were all out for blood, there’s a lot of suspects to choose from.

Clues and red herrings galore will be dropped in the coming weeks, and Anna, Gina, Elaine and Peter are forced to hide incriminating evidence to protect a family member. Who clobbered Cindy, and will she ever come out of her coma?

Nish's death: the aftermath

The Panesars had a devastating start to 2025 when nasty Nish tried to destroy Suki and Eve’s wedding and almost killed the couple.

Thankfully, they survived, but the poisonous patriarch paid the price for vengeance and ended up dead.

As the family process Nish’s demise, all eyes are on Nugget, who helped his granddad hide from the cops after escaping prison, inadvertently aiding his attempt to kill Eve and Suki. Will the teen face consequences for what he did, or can Avani and Ravi protect their son? And where do brainwashed Nugget’s loyalties really lie?

Ruby drives Stacey out of Walford

Stacey is seething with jealousy now Martin is back with Ruby, though really she’s pinching herself for letting her ex-husband go in the first place.

It seems Ruby genuinely wants to make amends with her old mate, but can Stacey forgive and forget or will she play dirty to get Martin back?

Actress Lacey Turner is about to go on maternity leave, meaning her alter ego Stacey will be taking a temporary absence from the Square – could Ruby resort to drastic measure to drive her love rival out?

Nigel's tragic secret

Fans were delighted to see Nigel Bates back on Christmas Eve after 26 years, and there’s much more to come from the classic character in 2025.

Lonely Phil leans on his old mate and signs his share of the boxing den over to him, causing concern from Sharon, who fears her ex is acting irrationally.

Overwhelmed by the gesture, Nigel contemplates doing a runner from Walford, but ends up having a heart-to-heart with Yolande and revealing the real reason he returned in the first place – which has huge repercussions…

Denise's romantic dilemma

Old passions have been reignited between Denise and Ravi, who are on the verge of taking the plunge and embarking on a proper relationship.

Of course, there are obstacles for the couple to surmount, namely Ravi’s guilt at pushing Nish off that balcony and accidentally almost killing Suki, not to mention the fact Ravi failed to protect Denise from nasty Nish almost doing her in. And is Dee’s marriage to Jack really over, or does her heart still belong to the bobby?

Pregnant Sonia jailed, Bianca dead?

Sonia stands trial for murder as 2025 begins, and fiancé Reiss is praying she’s found not guilty and the truth about Debbie’s death remains hidden.

Bianca figured out the truth, that Reiss killed his late wife, and she’s still being held captive in a lock-up, but surely she can’t stay there forever?

Reiss rallies the locals with a risky new plan to secure Sonia’s freedom, while Bianca plots her escape. Don’t forget Sonia is also due to give birth, with the due date conveniently timed to be around February’s anniversary week. Expect Reiss, Sonia and Bianca to have an eventful few weeks…

Lauren's baby drama

Another Walford woman up the doof-doof is Lauren, though she’s already risked the life of her and Peter’s unborn baby with her addiction to painkillers.

The couple’s relationship is in tatters after Cindy exposed Lauren’s drug-taking, and Peter has branded her an unfit mum to Louie due to her irresponsible actions, making the mum-to-be a pariah.

Can they make amends in 2025, and will the rest of Lauren’s pregnancy be drama-free? And could she be the one who attacked Cindy?

Live love triangle

EastEnders broadcasts its first live episode in a decade as part of February’s 40th anniversary celebrations, and for the first time in the soap’s history, the public will have a chance to decide the outcome of a storyline.

The resolution to a long-running Walford love triangle will be left in the hands of fans, who can vote to decide who should end up with who, with the result played out live on air.

The identity of the trio is yet to be revealed. Could it be the aforementioned Stacey, Martin and Ruby? Or Denise, Ravi and Jack? How about Harvey’s conflicting feelings for Jean and Kathy? Their fate is in your hands…

Wedding bells for Billy and Honey

Everybody loves an EastEnders wedding, and the backdrop to the anniversary week will be Billy and Honey tying the knot for a second time on 19th February – the actual date of the soap’s birthday.

The much-loved couple were married back in 2006, and after being on and off for years they finally reconciled in 2022. It took the pair three goes to get hitched first time around, and when they finally did pregnant Honey went into labour at the altar with daughter Janet, so expect their nuptials to provide drama to the eventful week.

Nicola and Zack's scandalous past

Newcomer Nicola Mitchell has ruffled feathers since following old flame Teddy and sons Harry and Barney to Walford, and there’s a whole lot of history to be explored in 2025.

Nic once had a romance with Zack many moons ago, which they’ve both elected to keep quiet about since being reunited. This juicy bit of backstory has led to fan theories that Zack could be the father of Nicola’s son Barney, but whether that’s true or not, the pair’s past is bound to come back to haunt them at some point…

Read More

• 6 EastEnders spoilers: The Panesars struggle after New Year and killer Reiss plots to save Sonia
• EastEnders reveals Cindy Beale's fate and confirms Christmas Day attacker reveal for 40th anniversary episodes
• EastEnders confirms which Christmas and New Year episodes will not air early on BBC iPlayer this year
• EastEnders boss highlights link to iconic 1986 outing in thrilling Christmas episode
• EastEnders' Elaine Knight is all 'about survival' after brutal Cindy Beale attack
• EastEnders Christmas and New Year spoilers: Your day-by-day guide as Cindy Beale's secrets explode
• EastEnders' Heather Peace promises New Year chaos at Suki and Eve's wedding
• EastEnders' Adam Woodyatt reveals 40th anniversary stories are "bonkers"
• EastEnders spoilers tease flirty encounter for Martin Fowler and Ruby Allen
• EastEnders confirms Sonia's return next month in advanced spoilers

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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