I’m really worried about what’s happening with Harry Mitchell in EastEnders. It looks like he’s finally had enough of Ravi Gulati, who got him mixed up in drugs and left him struggling with addiction. Harry’s decided he needs to get even with Ravi, and I’m bracing myself for a huge confrontation – it’s going to be explosive!
Like many plays by Mitchell, this one doesn’t focus on a single character. Nicola (played by Laura Doddington) quickly gets involved, and things take a terrible turn.
It’s really heartbreaking to watch Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) struggle with his memory, and things have gotten so tough that his wife, Julie (Karen Henthorn), had to leave Walford. She’s gone to try and sort out the money needed to properly care for him, which is just so sad to see.
I’m really curious about the new face popping up in Albert Square! Apparently, Linda Carter – Kellie Bright, who’s fantastic – is reconnecting with someone from her past. It’ll be interesting to see who it is and what drama they bring!
Here’s everything happening in EastEnders between Monday 5th January and Thursday 8th January 2026.
8 EastEnders spoilers for next week
1. Phil Mitchell and Julie Bates take Nigel to visit a care home
Phil Mitchell and Julie Bates visited a care home with Nigel Bates to discuss dementia care. They learned they needed to decide quickly if they wanted him to be admitted.
It’s not surprising that Nige is very upset, so they had to take him home and look for what they needed somewhere else.
Phil believes his friend deserves to be involved in decisions about his future when Julie starts considering other care homes. The two men later share a heartfelt conversation, during which Nigel reveals his wish to visit the beach.
Julie had to make the tough decision to sell her family home in Scotland to get money for Nigel’s care.
2. The events of Christmas continue to cast a shadow over the Slaters
Following the dramatic events of Christmas Day – including the murder of Anthony Trueman and Zoe Slater’s arrest – things are still very difficult for the Slater family.
Kat Moon is determined to help Zoe, who’s in prison, and viewers are wondering if this has something to do with Chrissie Watts suddenly reappearing.
Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) is struggling with her mental health, and recent family issues have made things worse.
After Lily Slater, Eve Panesar-Unwin, and Yolande Trueman spoke with him, Alfie Moon attempted to help Jean share what she’s going through, but her actions are increasingly worrying.
3. Sam Mitchell prepares for her lumpectomy
Sam Mitchell (played by Kim Medcalf) learned she had cancer just before Christmas, and now she’s been scheduled for surgery to remove the lump.
In emotional scenes, she confides in Alfie about her health.
Sam is later seen in images speaking with big brother Phil.
Will Sam get the support she needs from her family?
4. Ravi Gulati is spiked by the Mitchells and lashes out after a scary night…
As a film buff, I’m already hooked by this setup! We’ve got Harry Mitchell, completely consumed by revenge and fixated on Ravi Gulati. His mum, Nicola, tries to advise him to be patient and wait for the perfect moment, but seeing how happy the Gulati family seems just pushes Harry over the edge and makes him decide to act on his plan immediately. It’s a classic recipe for trouble, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Nicola intervenes to prevent a violent confrontation and decides to devise her own strategy to hold Ravi accountable for his actions.
The following day, while Ravi’s family meets with Suki and Eve Panesar-Unwin about the adoption, Ravi is left to cope with his feelings at Harry’s Barn with Patrick Trueman. Unfortunately, a manipulative Nic secretly puts drugs in Ravi’s drink.
Afterward, Ravi stumbled along Turpin Road, and Harry guided him to The Arches, where he started experiencing hallucinations. Their time together was cut short when Harry’s uncle, Billy Mitchell, arrived, leaving Ravi to face his ordeal alone.
When Ravi doesn’t come home, his partner Priya, half-brother Vinny, and son Davinder—known as Nugget—grow worried. They have no idea what’s happened to him and start searching for him.
Ravi falls into a pit at The Arches, and though he gets out and reaches the Square, his hallucinations are getting worse. This causes him to act erratically, with devastating results.
5. Linda Carter takes a trip down memory lane
Johnny Carter encourages his mother, Linda, to attend her school reunion, suggesting she bring her friend Honey Mitchell along for company.
The women arrive at the event pretending Honey is actually ‘Bea,’ an old classmate of Linda’s. But things get complicated when the real Bea (played by Ronni Ancona) is already there.
Linda is also upset when Bea starts sharing stories about Linda’s high school years, as their memories of that time don’t match up at all.
- Read more: EastEnders boss teases “tragedy comedy” 2026 story with newcomer Bea – and it involves a beloved Walford couple
6. Elaine Peacock declares war on Ian and Kathy Beale
Next week, the conflict between Elaine Peacock and Ian Beale intensifies, as their ongoing feud escalates.
Okay, so I just heard the latest from Albert Square, and it’s a bit of a drama! Apparently, Ian and his mum, Kathy, found out Elaine is starting a big breakfast deal at the Peacock Palace. But get this – she’s also been putting Kathy’s Cafe down in her flyers! Can you believe the nerve? It’s a full-on cafe war brewing, and I’m here for it!
We can’t imagine the Beales will take this lying down.
7. Romance for Penny Branning and Vinny Panesar?
Penny Branning and Vinny Panesar haven’t had much happening in their stories, particularly when it comes to romance.
Things are about to get complicated for Penny. Next week, her new roommate, Gina Knight (played by Francesca Henry), shares that she saw Penny with Vinny on New Year’s Eve, and Gina is also a godmother to Jimmy Beale.
Penny rebuffs Gina’s implications, describing what occurred as a “one-off”.
Is she overdoing her denials? We’ll have to see if Vinny and she have a chance at a relationship…
8. Max Branning seeks to make positive changes
After a turbulent and difficult week, Max Branning (Jake Wood) reconnects with his eldest children, Lauren Beale (Jacqueline Jossa) and Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier).
Despite their previous closeness, both children distance themselves from their father following incidents at Jimmy’s christening and a week earlier on New Year’s Eve.
I’m really rooting for Max! He’s determined to show everyone – and maybe himself most of all – that he can be a great dad, so he’s hitting the pavement to find a job and turn things around. It’s awesome to see him taking steps to make a positive change.
Will Max Branning ever find redemption? We’ll get some hints after the New Year’s Day episode that showed glimpses into the future.
- EastEnders confirms no early BBC iPlayer release for explosive New Year’s Day episode
- EastEnders icon Jake Wood reveals who he really thinks Max Branning’s true love is
- EastEnders boss teases love triangle scenes for Vicki Fowler as disturbed Joel Marshall finally goes to trial in 2026
I’ve added EastEnders to my watchlist using the TopMob: What to Watch app – it’s great for getting daily TV recommendations and all sorts of features. You can download it now too!
Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, providing the latest news and spoilers for popular shows like Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and also gained on-set experience with both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
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2025-12-30 03:54