EastEnders airs game-changing Cindy Beale reveal in early iPlayer release

Lauren and Louie were inside the burning house, but thankfully, as Jack (Scott Maslen) and Ian (Adam Woodyatt) tried to battle through the smoke and flames to find Lauren and Louie, resourceful Cindy (Michelle Collins) went around the back of the house to see if she could get in another way.

She found Louie at the window and managed to get it open to get the youngster out.

Cindy then clambered in through the window and managed to drag Lauren out, as well.

Both Lauren and Louie (plus, the bump) were all OK, but the scare prompted Lauren to confess to her painkiller addiction in front of Peter, Cindy and Ian, not without dropping the identity of her supplier.

Cindy went on the defensive and somehow actually managed to convince her son and partner that she was innocent.

But it became a little more complicated when Lauren announced that Cindy was behind Kojo's fall last month.

Peter and Ian failed to come to grips with what Lauren was really saying, and she declared that she was going to talk to Kojo right away.

When they went to speak to Kojo, he was grilled on who was there with him when he fell.

Putting his head down, and very unlike him, Kojo lied, saying he was by himself - if he didn't, he would inadvertently expose Cindy and Junior's affair.

Lauren was furious and stormed off, leaving Peter with a difficult decision.

Putting Louie first, he told Lauren he would be taking the boy for Christmas and staying with Ian and Cindy.

Meanwhile, in the pub, Cindy was lauded over by the punters for saving Lauren and Louie from the burning building.

While she coyly smiled, Elaine (Harriet Thorpe) was upstairs and overheard a noise coming from Anna's laptop.

It was, as we've all been waiting for, the tape recording of Cindy and David Wicks where she is declaring her affair with Junior!

We know the news will all be revealed over Christmas more widely, but what will Elaine do with the information?

Read more:

• EastEnders confirms schedule change as the BBC makes way for Sports Personality of the Year
• EastEnders airs format-changing Linda Carter episode with tragic surprises in early BBC iPlayer release
• EastEnders Christmas and New Year spoilers: Your day-by-day guide as Cindy Beale's secrets explode
• EastEnders' Joe Swash reveals which soap legends he felt so lucky to work alongside
• EastEnders' Heather Peace promises New Year chaos at Suki and Eve's wedding

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

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