Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) begrudgingly accepted Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell) in tonight's EastEnders (21st September).

Advertisement

Ian's (Adam Woodyatt) youngest son Bobby killed Lucy (Hetti Bywater), the daughter Ian shared with Cindy, when the young man was just a child. After meeting Bobby, despite knowing that the situation was complicated and that Bobby had paid his dues, Cindy was left disturbed.

Ian told Lucy's twin, his and Cindy's son Peter (Thomas Law) that he wanted Bobby home, but he was terrified of asking Cindy. Cindy heard, and immediately retorted "I think the little psychopath should stay where he is."

When Bobby arrived with a box of his belongings, Cindy was raging as she threw the box outside and shouted: "He is moving in over Lucy's dead body!"

Ian urged Cindy to let Bobby come home, and Peter reminded her that his half-brother had been locked up for years. When Cindy appeared to relent, it wasn't long before her fiery side emerged, as she made sarcastic quips about how she shouldn't have even mentioned Bobby's crime.

"I am sorry you hit my daughter so hard she died with a single blow. What were her last seconds like? Did she know she was gonna die? Did she look at her little brother's face and wonder why a music box was covered in blood?"

Cindy pointed out that Bobby had attacked his adoptive mum Jane (Laurie Brett) with a cricket bat, and Bobby became more and more distressed. Cindy punctuated her words by throwing her glass of wine over Bobby, and Ian told her that she only got one free pass to treat Bobby like that.

Ian insisted that he had decided long ago to forgive his son and that if Cindy couldn't accept Bobby, their relationship was over.

Clay Milner Russell as Bobby Beale in EastEnders.
Clay Milner Russell as Bobby Beale in EastEnders. BBC

Later, Cindy approached Bobby and her family and apologised, saying she had needed to get that rant off her chest. She added that Bobby's Muslim faith also meant she had crossed a line in throwing alcohol over him.

When Cindy declared she didn't want to lose Peter and Ian, so Bobby could move back in, Bobby thanked her. He told her that no one could hate him more than he hated himself over what he did to Lucy, while Cindy left to go to The Minute Mart.

Finding shopkeeper Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) outside, Cindy asked her to open up, and a distracted Suki refused. But there was a brief moment of connection when Cindy mentioned her ongoing grief for her lost children - something Suki understood all too well.

Can Cindy forgive Bobby - and might she find an ally in Suki?

Read more:

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. 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 and Streaming Guide.

Advertisement

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Laura Denby
Laura DenbyFreelance Writer

Laura Denby is a Freelance Soaps writer covering all the latest news in the Dales, Cobbles and East End for Radio Times. She's a soaps nerd with a love for comedy drama, and has also written for Digital Spy, Metro UK and Yahoo UK.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement