(Monday 23rd – Tuesday 24th March 2020)
With Gray’s discovery, Whitney is finally granted bail and allowed home to her family before her trial, which is set for nine weeks’ time. Although she is relieved to be out of prison, knowing that Leo was living in her loft, spying on her, home doesn’t exactly feel like the safe place it should be either. It’s going to take the poor girl a while to adjust after everything she has been through and let’s face it, it’s not over yet. Meanwhile, it’s a struggle for Chantelle who is being abused by the husband everyone thinks is a hero.
Ben is in over his head trying to strike a deal with his old dodgy ‘colleague’ without letting on that he can’t hear a thing he says. Callum sacks off an interview with the police to help him out only for things to go badly wrong when they get wind of him being a police officer, or at least training to become one. The boys desperately try to explain that it’s not a set up and Ben admits to his hearing loss but it’s too late. The deal is off. Ben takes everything out on Callum, who was only trying to help. Ben then gets arrested for stealing and joyriding a car on the Square, although he manages to blag his way out of it. Jack warns Callum that Ben is bad news and will not do him any favours for his future as a cop. Tired of the way Ben is behaving the way he treats him, Callum ends things with Ben. But he takes pity on him when breaks down in tears.
Worried about Sharon (and consumed with his own guilt), Ian offers Karen money to take Kayden and move away from the Square. Karen tries to reason with Sharon about the baby but Sharon is completely shut down, consumed in her grief over her son. Aware that if she doesn’t take her grandson, he will go into care, Karen concludes that she has no choice but to accept Ian’s offer, upsetting all her family, including Bailey. Of course, what she doesn’t know is that she will be completely isolating Chantelle in her abusive relationship. She needs her Mum more she knows.
Keegan and Tiffany are having problems of their own as they struggle to communicate. He takes it personally when his loan application is turned down and his mood is deeply affecting their marriage, accusing Tiffany of not understanding what it is like to be victimised as she is white. She argues that being black isn’t a disability and being a woman poses its own problems when it comes to being victimised, as she has experienced. She tells him that every mother has to have ‘the chat’ with their daughter about what they will have to go through in their lives, just because they are female. It’s a very interesting debate. And it’s very sad to see these two, who are so in love, pulling so far away from each other.
The bitchy Mums come to the Queen Vic to hassle Linda and new teacher, Isaac about her coming to read to the children. Linda is amazing! She offers to step down, not wanting to cause any hassle but easily puts the lead bitch in her place, pointing out that it may be beneficial for her to get a job or take up a class as she clearly has too much time on her hands if she can make this much effort to come and hassle her in the pub – a text would have done. Well done, Linda! This is why we love you!
Habiba teases a potential romance with Jags, just to remind him how difficult he and his family have made things for Ash and Iqra. Kat makes a hasty exit (to make way for Jessie’s Wallace’s suspension – please come back soon!)
Due to the Coronavirus, Eastenders has had to suspend filming
It will air from now on only on Mondays and Tuesdays at 7:30pm on BBC1
The Soap Dish 