It could be all over for Lauren Beale (Jacqueline Jossa) in EastEnders next week.
She’s finally forced to come clean about her illegal scheme with Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), but what does it mean for her marriage to Peter (Thomas Law)?
Meanwhile, it’s pretty impressive what you can orchestrate from the confines of a prison cell. Murderous Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) continues to manipulate grandmother Sheila (Sheila Ruskin) into trying to grant him access to estranged son Jordan (Jahsaiah Williams).
There’s a close call, though the plan seems to work. But what exactly is she plotting, how far will she go to meet Gray’s demands, and what will unfold when the Fox clan inevitably find out?
Elsewhere, the investigation into the brutal attack on Joel Marshall (Max Murray) continues, and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) is determined to find out who Priya Nandra-Hart’s (Sophie Khan Levy) mystery man is.
Here’s everything happening in EastEnders between Monday 3 and Thursday 6 August.
5 EastEnders spoilers for next week1. Lauren Beale comes clean to husband Peter about her dodgy dealings with Mark Fowler
Thomas Law and Jacqueline Jossa as Peter and Lauren Beale. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Lauren’s attempt to keep her distance from Mark proves short-lived as his calculated efforts to provoke her only make matters worse. Watching him openly flirt with Jack Branning’s (Scott Maslen) colleague Rita (Amy Matthews) leaves Lauren visibly unsettled, but when her attention is drawn to one of the stolen motors, Peter starts to realise something isn’t adding up.
His suspicions grow until an unexpected discovery on Lauren’s phone leaves her with nowhere left to hide.
Later, Mark seizes the chance to confess his feelings, only for Peter’s untimely arrival to bring the moment crashing to an end. Cornered by her husband’s questions, Lauren initially sticks to her story before finally admitting the full extent of her involvement with Mark’s stolen car operation.
Thomas Law as Peter Beale. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
The bombshell only gets bigger when Max Branning (Jake Wood) and Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) arrive, forcing her into another painful confession. Desperate to put the scandal behind her, she clings to the hope of drawing a line under the chaos and starting afresh.
But peace remains elusive as Max and Cindy lock horns over the fallout surrounding their children. Jack later offers Max some much-needed words of encouragement after his latest row with Cindy, while Lauren finds herself spiralling further after another encounter with her father.
Stephen Aaron-Sipple as Mark Fowler and Jacqueline Jossa as Lauren Beale. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) urges her cousin to stop denying what she really feels for Mark, though Lauren remains hopelessly conflicted. Sensing an opportunity, Mark seeks her Lauren after learning of the cracks appearing in her marriage – though she lays down the law and demands he prove just how much she means to him.
Cindy later summons Max to The Vic, where the couple finally manage to bury the hatchet – until Mark arrives and sparks another explosive confrontation over Lauren.
Stephen Aaron-Sipple as Mark Fowler and Jake Wood as Max Branning. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Afterwards, he’s left wrestling with his conscience when Louie Beale’s (Jake McNally) distress over his parents’ fractured relationship hits close to home. Just as Lauren is blindsided by Peter revealing that Mark has confessed everything, events elsewhere in Albert Square suddenly derail their conversation.
2. The investigation into Joel Marshall’s attack rumbles on
Max Murray as Joel Marshall. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
The mystery surrounding Joel’s brutal attack refuses to go away as Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman) confides in dad Zack Hudson (James Farrar), admitting he spotted Davinder “Nugget” Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) acting suspiciously on the night everything happened.
At the same time, Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) and Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) receive fresh information about their son’s living arrangements, and remain convinced that something far more complicated is being hidden from them. Determined to uncover the truth, they confront Kat and Alfie Moon (Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie), only to discover the other parents have been sitting on vital information all along.
Furious at the apparent cover-up, Ross resolves to take matters into his own hands by going straight to the police.
Alex Walkinshaw as Ross Marshall, Alice Haig as Vicki Fowler, Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie as Kat and Alfie Moon. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Kat and Alfie attempt to restore order by gathering everyone together, but the meeting quickly descends into chaos once Vicki and Ross arrive with their accusations.
Elsewhere, Jack turns to colleague Craig Ingram (Matthew James-Bailey) with a request in the hope of shielding children Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) and Ricky Mitchell (Frankie Day) from the growing fallout, while Barney gives an official statement that could prove pivotal to the investigation.
Ellie Dadd as Amy Mitchell and Matthew James-Bailey as Craig Ingram. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
As Craig updates Vicki and Ross on developments, Joel stuns everyone with an unexpected request of his own.
Later, Amy attempts to prise information out of Craig about where the investigation is heading, but he refuses to be drawn, leaving her no closer to the truth.
3. Jean Slater has monetary problems
Gillian Wright as Jean Slater. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Financial problems arise for Jean Slater (Gillian Wright), leaving Eve Panesar-Unwin (Heather Peace) increasingly concerned as the rent arrears on No. 31 begin to pile up. This, of course, puts Eve in a sticky situation as her wife Suki (Balvinder Sopal) is landlord.
Desperate to get herself back on track, Jean swallows her pride and takes on a cleaning job at Max’s flat in the hope of easing the pressure before her debts spiral even further.
4. Gray Atkins puts a plan into action with grandmother Sheila
Zaraah Abrahams as Chelsea Fox and Sheila Ruskin as Sheila Atkins. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Patrick Trueman’s (Rudolph Walker) return to Walford brings an emotional reunion with Denise Fox (Diane Parish), and it isn’t long before he notices the lingering tension between her and daughter Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams).
Keen to play peacemaker, he encourages the pair to mend fences, allowing Chelsea to feel comfortable enough to leave son Jordan alone with his paternal great grandmother Sheila.
However, Chelsea’s trust could prove badly misplaced. While babysitting, Sheila tests Jordan’s ability to keep secrets before taking him out and making him promise not to tell anyone. After narrowly avoiding disaster, they return home, where she wastes no time putting the next stage of her carefully orchestrated plan into motion.
Rudolph Walker as Patrick Trueman and Diane Parish as Denise Fox. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Later, she reports back to Gray, assuring him their scheme is unfolding exactly as intended.
Sheila’s manipulation continues in the days that follow, but cracks soon begin to appear. Chelsea grows increasingly uneasy after an unsettling remark from her son, and an unexpected visitor at the door only heightens the tension. With events threatening to unravel, a shaken Sheila reaches out to Gray.
5. Ravi Gulati is determined to find out who Priya Nandra-Hart’s mystery man is
Aaron Thiara as Ravi Gulati. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Ravi sets out to repair his fractured relationship with Priya, but his efforts are overshadowed by growing curiosity over the identity of the mystery man in her life.
Determined to uncover the truth, he presses Priya for answers, hoping she’ll finally reveal who’s caught her attention.
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