EastEnders’ Vicki Fowler continues to struggle in the aftermath of Joel Marshall’s attack next week. As she tries to put the ordeal behind her, she discovers more secrets about the toxic teenager that leave her reeling…

“Joel may have been carted off by the cops, but his actions have haunted Vicki,” reveals our EastEnders insider. “She’s desperate to move on, although she doesn’t know the whole story. Vicki’s about to take a backward step and will need all the support she can get.”

 

 

Tommy is also struggling with life after Joel’s arrest and is feeling guilty about being complicit in his former friend’s crimes.

Impressionable Tommy was corrupted by Joel’s misogynist views and the teachings of dangerous influencer Drake Zagan.

 

 

Even though now he’s seen the error of his ways and wants to prove himself to be a good man, he is still dealing with the consequences of his influence.

As Nugget and Denzel taunt sheepish Tommy in the café, Vicki comes to the defence of Kat’s remorseful son, acknowledging that they were both victims of Joel.

 

 

However, Amy oversees this dramatic encounter and is confused about why Vicki appears to be so firmly in Tommy’s corner – but then realises it’s because she doesn’t know the whole truth.

Amy shocks Vicki with a revelation: Tommy eventually did the right thing and reported Joel to the police, but only after he had kept him hidden in the garage in the hours immediately after the attack…

 

 

“Vicki is horrified,” says our source. “She confronts Tommy in The Vic and Kat is forced to step in to calm her down. Vicki feels betrayed that Tommy didn’t admit this earlier, and it just rakes up the whole incident for her all over again.”

Later, Vicki heads out for a drink with supportive Kathy, but while out and about she notices a man making a girl feel uncomfortable and finds this triggering.

Vicki rushes home and lets out her frustration, but her rage soon turns to turmoil, and she breaks down in tears. Can Vicki ever recover from her nightmare?