With just days left to go until fans find out which EastEnders favourite dies on Christmas Day, eagle-eyed sleuths have been trawling the show in search of any crumb of a clue that could indicate which character will be meeting their maker.
Since the storyline first began back in February 2023 with a unique flash-forward sequence that revealed one male character had been killed by one of Albert Square’s most beloved women, plenty of theories have emerged about which character would be meeting a sticky end.
Although very little is known about who exactly is lying dead on the floor of the Queen Vic pub this Christmas, one pivotal clue in the initial preview showed that the victim was wearing a pair of distinctive cufflinks.
As the weeks progressed it later emerged that Nish Panesar was the original owner of the cufflinks, leading many fans to believe he would be the victim – but they have since changed hands multiple times, with several other characters, including Phil Mitchell having borrowed them throughout the year.
While fans were able to keep track of who owned the decorative item at first, things took a startling turn this week when Billy Mitchell and Alfie Moon began selling pairs of the very same cufflinks on their market stall, with virtually every male character in Walford soon coming to own a pair.
According to the business savvy duo, the cufflinks were originally commissioned for someone’s wedding, but the ceremony was soon called off after the groom got a bit too friendly with the bridesmaids – something Sharon Watts said meant they were “cursed.”
This didn’t stop her from lining up to claim a pair however, with two more victims now on the cards including Martin Fowler and Zack Hudson after Sharon purchased a pair each for them as a gift.
Here, we take a closer look at the main suspects who could be this year’s Christmas murder victim…
Phil Mitchell
One of the biggest names that could potentially be the murder victim is Phil Mitchell, who is currently in possession of the original cufflinks after he was lent them by Jack Branning, who had acquired them from Nish Panesar, for his wedding to Kat Slater.
Over the years, Phil has made more than his fair share of enemies in Albert Square, but has he done enough to cross The Six femme fatales who could potentially be the murderer?
So far, we know that Sharon is hiding a huge truth about Albie’s parentage from him, after discovering he is the biological father of her son – but how will he handle the news when it comes out? And more importantly – how will Keanu, who believes Albie is his son, react?
Jack Branning
Jack Branning is another character who could see his life cut short in the coming days, particularly since he owns a pair of the cufflinks and has recently found himself embroiled in a cheating scandal with not one but two members of The Six, Stacey Slater and Denise Fox.
Jack recently slept with Stacey following a vulnerable moment together, despite already being in a committed relationship with Denise Fox – something he proceeded to lie about to his spouse.
With the truth rumbled and his marriage in tatters, could Denise seek the ultimate revenge on Jack?
Keanu Taylor
Another character potentially in the firing line is Keanu Taylor, who recently came into possession of a pair of cufflinks after his fiancé Sharon Watts purchased a pair ahead of their big day this Christmas.
As regular viewers will know, Keanu recently orchestrated the kidnap of his son and has been manipulating his way back into Sharon’s life in order to take every penny she has – and full custody – as part of an elaborate scheme that has yet to come to light.
If his lies come to light this Christmas, could Sharon be hurt enough to kill him?
Nish Panesar
One of the most popular theories from fans about who will die, has to be Nish Panesar – with viewers predicting his demise since the trailer first aired at the start of the year!
As regular viewers will know, Nish was the original owner of the cufflinks but lost them in a poker game to Rocky, yet as the original owner, his fate could have been tied to the cursed item all along.
Further speculation also comes from the trailer clip, when Sharon Watts is seen looming over the body before turning to look at a shocked Suki Panesar, Nish’s long suffering wife who has been forced to live a lie under his abusive hands.
Crucially, Nish also made an enemy of Stacy Slater, Eve Unwin’s wife – after Eve had been embarking on a love affair with Suki for months until he took matters into his own hands and attempted to kill her.
Although Eve ultimately faked her own death, Stacey initially believed Nish had killed her, and this combined with the cufflinks, and Suki’s own reaction to the body – strongly suggests Nish could be the victim after all.
Ravi Gulati
Another member of the Panesar clan who could be in the firing line, is Ravi Gulati, Nish’s son who has repeatedly been involved in numerous dodgy dealings since arriving in the square.
Ravi is currently connected to two members of The Six, his former love interest Denise Fox and his stepmother Suki Panesar who he mistakenly led to believe had killed his adopted father Ranveer Gulati before letting her son Kheerat Panesar take the fall for the crime.
As of Wednesday’s episode (20 December) we also know his ex-wife Priya purchased a pair of the cufflinks to gift to him, meaning he too could be next in line to meet his maker.
Dean Wicks
A late addition to the proceedings this year, is returning character Dean Wicks, who only arrived back in Walford this Autumn following an extended absence away from Albert Square following his rape of Linda Carter.
With no love lost between Dean and many of the Square’s residents, it’s safe to say there’s plenty of animosity surrounding his return, with Linda in particular having been harrowed by how quickly he had swanned back into her life.
Like several other potential victims, Dean purchased a pair of cufflinks from Alfie and Billy, only to later discover that they were actually made of genuine platinum and worth a pretty penny.
Laughing at the pair’s misfortune to have sold such a high value item for well below their worth, could someone kill Dean in the hopes of recovering the pricey item?
Or will Linda finally get the justice she deserves and kill her attacker herself?
Rocky Cotton
Another popular theory among fans is that Rocky Cotton will die this Christmas, as his past finally catches up with him after trying to dodge his debts for a disastrous few months.
As regular viewers will know, Rocky very nearly killed Peter and Bobby Beale in a devastating cafe fire, when he tried to burn down Kathy’s as part of an insurance scam to tackle his skyrocketing debts.
Despite his attempts to make amends on screen, very few people have been willing to give Rocky a second chance, especially his wife Kathy – who couldn’t quite believe he could stoop so low.
But is she angry enough to kill him over endangering her family?
Martin Fowler
One of the most recent suggestions to crop up is Martin Fowler, who only came into the running as a possible murder victim following Wednesday’s episode, when Sharon purchased a pair of cufflinks for him as a gift.
Although over the years he has experienced some friction among his fellow Albert Square residents, it seems unlikely that he will be the body in the Queen Vic on Christmas Day.
Zack Hudson
The final contender in the Christmas Whodunnit, is Zack Hudson, who much like Martin will receive the cufflinks as a special gift from Sharon this holiday season.
Although there is little to suggest that he has any ongoing beef with The Six, given his on-screen love interest Whitney Dean’s upcoming departure from the show, if Zack did die, it could potentially tie into an exit storyline for the star.
EastEnders continues Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
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