EastEnders' Elaine Knight is all 'about survival' after brutal Cindy Beale attack

But in another cruel twist, Elaine also found out that there were clearly some complicated feelings between George (Colin Salmon) and Cindy (Michelle Collins) left unsaid, evidenced when she witnessed George shouting at his son for taking what's "his".

In a private chat with George upstairs in The Vic, Elaine gave her husband a right old slap for what he said, insisting Junior (Micah Balfour) and Cindy were grown adults and he shouldn't be as bothered as he is.

Elaine powerfully kicked her man to the curb for his actions, but the whole event shattered the entire Knight family.

The Christmas episode was made more complicated when Cindy was left for dead after being smacked by a shovel, prompting one big question: who would hit her? (More like, who wouldn't!)

Would Elaine? After all, she's lost a lot and was already at the end of her tether before the turkey was even served...

Speaking to press including RadioTimes.com at a recent screening, Thorpe explained how Elaine would likely go to the ends of the world to save her family - perhaps even murder.

"The thing is Elaine is, and always has been, about survival," Thorpe explained. "There's no lengths to which she will not go because holding on to something that matters and helping things stay in her control is everything... no pressure."

When asked if family was everything for Elaine, Thorpe replied: "Absolutely, as we've seen in the last few weeks with her alcoholic daughter. She tries to have a front all the time, but Cindy's been tearing her down since the get-go, and I think this is the final straw..."

But what's Thorpe like with a shovel?

"I'm quite good at gardening," the actress shared, dead-pan.

Make of that what you will, then.

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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