is gearing up to broadcast a shocking Christmas death that will shatter the Carter family.
As filming for the One soap's festive episodes gets underway, exclusive photos reveal the cast assembled for a funeral. Linda Carter, played by Kellie Bright, is conspicuously absent from the set, sparking speculation that her character may be the one who has passed away.
However, this could be a clever misdirection from the production team, designed to keep viewers guessing. Last , Keanu Taylor was the unfortunate victim in 'The Six' storyline, with Linda stabbing him in the back with a carving fork.
In a bid to distract from the impending death, BBC bosses had Danny Walters, who plays Keanu, photographed at an airport and on set for another funeral scene - not his own.
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Yet, new on-set images, obtained by , depict Johnny Carter in a dire state, being helped out of the church by his older brother Lee, clearly intoxicated. Johnny is later seen swigging vodka from a bottle atop a gravestone while Linda's mother Elaine, played by actress Harriet Thorpe, and her granddaughter engage in a heated argument.
His on-screen sister, Nancy, played by Maddy Hill, is also pictured having a stern exchange with her before she eventually slaps her across the face in a dramatic moment.
Sharon Watts, Linda's long-time best friend, is also captured at the service dressed entirely in black with a rather solemn look on her face. EastEnders fans first met the Carter family in 2014 when Mick and Linda were unveiled as the surprise purchasers of the Queen Vic pub, having bought it from Phil Mitchell.
This week, EastEnders viewers couldn't help but speculate a death is on the way. Of course, it wouldn't be the first, and just a year ago we saw Linda murder Keanu in a dramatic plot with The Six. Keanu isn't the only one to have met a grisly end on this day, with other Christmas victims including Archie Mitchell and Jamie Mitchell as well as Pauline Fowler.
The festive period including New Year has seen further deaths over the years too including Dennis Rickman, Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell and Kevin Wicks. Amid Zack Hudson actor telling The that this year's New Year is "unbelievable", a new clue about the set has left some viewers speculating someone will die.
While we know Nish Panesar is likely to be killed off soon, fans are convinced this will happen around Halloween. The show featured a shake-up on set this week with an update of how it's looking ahead of Christmas. New images from the studio show snow all over Albert Square, covering the famous buildings and the Square itself.
Viewers were thrilled by this, but some theories questioned whether it meant a death was on the way. While it isn't the case that someone has died on the soap every time it's snowed, there has often been tragedy and drama. Viewers are convinced it means only one thing, with one writing on X: "Snow at Christmas? Oh somebody is dead." Another agreed: "I'd love an unpredictable death this year. Just kill Anna off or something."
Other viewers think a return will air this Christmas. One fan said: "Ruby will play an integral part to ," as another commented: "I think Ruby will come back at Christmas."
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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