EastEnders Christmas flash-forward clues: From cufflinks to knights

Let's start at the beginning: there's a dead body, and it's definitely a male character. Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) is wearing a wedding dress despite not yet being engaged. We've got 10 months to wait, and even the six actresses at the murder scene don't currently know which of their characters will turn out to be guilty.

So, let's dive in to everything we know so far, as we speculate like we've never speculated before. Read on for all the biggest hints.

Cufflinks

An amber-coloured cufflink could be seen on the shirt sleeve of the mystery corpse, as Sharon bent to feel the man's pulse. We're therefore expecting that someone gifts the same pair of cufflinks to one of EastEnders' male mainstays at some point over the coming months. We've already suggested that they could belong to Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) but what if, instead, they're actually Phil's?

Phil is due to be a groom at Christmas, whether that's to Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) as planned, or to remarry ex-wife Sharon. The cufflinks look expensive, which points us in either Nish or Phil's direction if they bought them themselves. But this also doesn't rule out another Walford male wearing them for whatever reason. Whoever they belong to, there must be a reason we've been shown this piece of jewellery...

Suit of armour

Randomly, a suit of armour stands in the background of the flash-forward scene. Or is it quite so random? Last year, when Kathy Beale's (Gillian Taylforth) fiancé Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) accidentally proposed to her, Conley told press including RadioTimes.com: "He’s not quite in the same league as me, romance-wise, because I proposed to my wife dressed as a knight in armour with a full choir backing me!"

Might this anecdote have been written into the show for a reason? Could this suggest that Rocky is the victim of this murder mystery? We know that Rocky has hinted that he's already married, so there's a secret awaiting Kathy somewhere down the line. It remains to be seen what the armour really means, but let's not forget the phrase 'knight in shining armour' either. Does this signify a deeper meaning - perhaps someone plays hero in the lead-up to the death?

Ripped dress

It's not obvious, but Kathy's dress features a tear - also noted by the writer of the flash-forward, Daran Little, who tweeted a list of clues to get fans started.

We can't miss an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the very neglected Kathy, who has long deserved her own storyline. Does someone - the identity of the victim - try to attack Kathy, ripping her outfit in the process?

Or might the man grab onto her in an effort to save himself? That could still be Rocky, but there are certainly others who might turn to Kathy for assistance depending on the situation, like Phil. Then again, the torn dress could simply be the result of an altercation that gets out of hand. Either way, it's a big part of the clue set.

Linda's split lip

Linda actress Kellie Bright appeared on ITV's This Morning in the wake of EastEnders airing the big twist, and she pointed out that her alter ego has a split lip in the flash-forward scene.

Bright added that she doesn't know why Linda has this injury, but this does tell us that she may have been a target for the man who is killed. We've been discussing the possibility that Linda's rapist Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) may be on his way back to Albert Square following her recent discovery that Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) is back in touch with him.

The cut on Linda's mouth could strengthen this theory, and as Kathy has already vowed that Linda's friends will stand against Dean if he shows his face again, could we be set to see a deadly showdown?

Smashed bottle

Denise was the one holding the smashed bottle of champagne, which suggests she may have used it as a murder weapon. That doesn't necessarily mean she's the killer, though. But whether the bottle was used on the victim or not, it does seem that Denise had cause to pick it up for a reason. Is this a sign that she sets out to defend herself, or one of the other women?

Music - Heart of Glass

This track was playing as the six women danced together during the lock-in at The Queen Vic, and could be a telling clue if you study the lyrics a little closer. It's an empowering song, but reveals someone who thought they had found real love, only to feel that they were losing their mind, there was no trust and their lover had a 'heart of glass'.

Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) is currently being controlled by husband Nish, and she joined the ladies in a toast, uttering: "To the ones who keep us in the shadows." Then, the six hoped the men who wronged them would get what they deserved.

The song could also be a hint that someone other than Nish is exposed, like Rocky, who has so far always seemed a jolly soul. Who is the man with a Heart of Glass?

Toilet engaged during Sharon and Keanu's encounter

EastEnders went to the effort of showing Sharon locking the toilet door before her tryst with lover Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) - sparing the eyes of any punters who might walk through the door! But as she locked the door, we saw the 'engaged' notice pop up.

Given that we learned that Sharon is set to get wed again come Christmas, was this moment during the passionate encounter a clue that Keanu is the identity of the mystery groom? Or might it be a red herring, designed to keep us guessing over this extra twist?

Read more:

• EastEnders' Diane Parish on Christmas whodunnit: "I'm really scared it's me"
• EastEnders' Lacey Turner predicts "accidental death" in Christmas whodunnit
• EastEnders' Balvinder Sopal on Christmas killer: "I would like it to be Suki"
• EastEnders' Letitia Dean on flash-forward mystery: "I think it’s so open"
• EastEnders' Gillian Taylforth says flash-forward left cast "stunned"

Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Soaps hub.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.