SHOCKING NEWS!!! 12 huge EastEnders spoilers for next week (22 to 26 December)
Next week, Zoe’s stalker ordeal reaches a terrifying climax on Christmas Day as a catastrophic incident ends with the police descending on Albert Square.
Meanwhile, ghosts of Walford past return for a special episode about Nigel’s worsening dementia, and the Beales and Brannings come together for a rather tense Christmas dinner.
Here is our round-up of all the biggest moments coming up next week. You can also check out our collection of 61 spoiler pictures from next week’s episodes.
On the day of Nigel’s film screening, Phil and Julie are busy arguing about his future care. Everyone gathers in the community centre, where director Lexi hosts the events. But when Sam arrives at the screening, Kat tells her she isn’t welcome – and is shocked when Julie reveals that Sam has been back in the country for weeks.
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2. Max plays with fire

After a big secret is revealed, Max is furious, and Lauren and Jack try to calm him down as he makes his feelings clear. They pledge their support and believe they’ve stopped him from doing anything stupid. However, Max chooses to get advice from Zoe instead, and then makes a decision that he could regret…
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3. Nigel’s day goes seriously wrong

Nigel gets up to make a speech before the screening, but he gets confused so Julie helps him to find his place. He spots a bruise on Julie’s face and is horrified when he realises that he is to blame for his wife’s injury.
When Nigel runs away, Julie and Phil follow and search for him – but they end up arguing about his care once again. Nigel secretly overhears their row and confronts Julie and Phil about their constant fighting. Urging them to leave him alone, Nigel arrives at the closed pub alone…
4. Anthony’s not in a festive mood

The Truemans continue to grow concerned about Anthony’s behaviour as Christmas approaches. On the day of Yolande’s carol service, Patrick and Chelsea try to cheer up Anthony, knowing that it’s his first Christmas away from his ex-wife and kids. However, Anthony isn’t in the mood for festive celebrations. Is there anything his loved ones can do?
5. Vicki’s confused about her feelings

In the café, Ross asks Vicki if he can move back into No.43, but Zack overhears this. Things are awkward between him and Vicki, as they are hiding the fact that they secretly kissed. Vicki tries to clear the air by giving Zack advice about what to get Barney for Christmas.
Barney later realises that Zack has feelings for Vicki – will he intervene in this escalating love triangle?
6. Nigel gets some ghostly visitors

Alone in the pub, Nigel’s dementia symptoms intensify and he begins to mix up the past and the present. In his confused state, Nigel is visited by the late Pat and Barry Evans, who return from the dead for a very special episode.
Phil and Julie find Nigel in The Vic and realise that they need more help with caring for him. Phil has an emotional chat with Nigel and prepares to tell him the difficult truth. Meanwhile, the community continues watching Nigel’s film, but Phil returns and orders everyone to leave. Once alone, Phil comes to an important realisation…
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7. Zoe gets a shock

The Slaters desperately want Zoe to enjoy Christmas with her family and are determined to celebrate for the next few days, despite her ongoing stalker nightmare. But when Kat bumps into Sam in The Vic, she wastes no time in accusing her of being Zoe’s stalker.
On the night of Christmas Eve, Kat and Alfie head out to the carol concert, while Zoe stays home and makes a huge discovery. What does she find?
8. Oscar reveals a secret

Max’s controversial decision makes him some new enemies in the Square, and he sets out to make amends with Oscar. However, he gets distracted by Linda, so Oscar resorts to drowning his sorrows in the pub before joining his family at the carol concert. Drunk and tired of his dad letting him down, Oscar drops a bombshell on Max that he never saw coming…
9. The Mitchells come together

Sam gets heartbreaking confirmation that she has breast cancer, and she seeks support from close ally Zack. Following the tragic events involving Nigel, Sam joins forces with Phil and Julie to support him – but it becomes clear that Nigel doesn’t remember what happened.
Nigel’s worsening condition leads Sam and Phil to have an important heart-to-heart about family. On Christmas Day, the previously warring Mitchells come together to have dinner, with Nigel making plans to make this the best Christmas ever.
10. The Slaters’ Christmas ends in disaster

On Christmas Day, Kat and Alfie are excited to celebrate their first Christmas back together as a family in The Vic, but Zoe is still on edge following her huge discovery. The community dinner in the pub soon very goes wrong when the Slaters get into an argument with another family.
The day goes from bad to worse, and Kat sends everyone home from The Vic to try and protect her struggling daughter – with Zack taking the dinner back to No.31 to feed the hungry residents. But a worrying situation then escalates further, with devastating consequences for the whole family…
11. The Beales and Brannings cause chaos

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The Beales and the Brannings come together on Christmas Day at No.45, and Kathy and Harvey are full of festive cheer. When Cindy arrives, Ian and Peter act quickly to stop her and Max meeting for the very first time – but they offend her by telling her she isn’t welcome.
As the two families sit around the dinner table, Max is still coming to terms with Oscar’s bombshell. It isn’t long before a truth comes to light and causes fireworks – what will be revealed?
12. The police arrive in Walford
In the fallout of the explosive events of Christmas Day, police officers swarm the Square as the community comes to terms with what has happened. Some huge secrets are exposed that offer more questions than answers, and the characters at the centre of the drama struggle to see a
