EastEnders reveals incriminating Queen Vic discovery in early iPlayer release

As the mystery of Cindy Beale's (Michelle Collins) Christmas Day attack continued, The Knights were suspicious of Ian Beale's (Adam Woodyatt) motives for allowing cheating Cindy to move back in with him.

Cindy's daughters Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna (Molly Rainford) convinced reluctant dad George to go and see Cindy.

But as George quizzed him on what he was really up to, Ian wouldn't allow him access.

With the family starting to wonder if Ian himself struck Cindy down, George's wife Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) invited Ian to the pub on false pretences so that George could get to Cindy.

George urged Cindy not to trust Ian, armed with information on Ian's role in covering up Denny Rickman's (Bleu Landau) death.

Meanwhile, Ian soon worked out Elaine's game, seeing right through her 'offer' to buy Beale's Eels.

Storming back to the house, Ian confronted George, who was in the middle of suggesting that Ian was behind Cindy's injuries.

Ian retaliated by accusing George, goading him to the point where he hit Ian.

Ian was smug in the face of George's violence, and George fled, leaving Cindy in shock and denying George could hurt her, while Ian attempted to report the incident to the police.

Back at The Vic, George retreated to the cellar, where Elaine found him brooding over his actions.

But when he spotted what looked like a bloody footprint, and the blood-spattered shovel used to hit Cindy, George and Elaine stared at each other in shock.

Who has hidden the weapon in the pub, and does this mean one of the Knights is the culprit?

Read more:

• EastEnders airs unsettling twist for Cindy and Ian Beale in early BBC iPlayer release
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• EastEnders confirms 40th anniversary documentary with Ross Kemp and 2 iconic former stars
• Why EastEnders must not resurrect Grant Mitchell and Sharon Watts's romance
• EastEnders airs tribute to iconic Peggy Mitchell line in early iPlayer episode
• EastEnders 2025 preview: 12 spoilers for the year ahead

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

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