We examine each potential victim, including two new identities, in anticipation of EastEnders viewers finding out who the Christmas murder victim is in the last days.
In the last days before viewers discover which beloved character from EastEnders passes away on Christmas Day, sharp-eyed detectives have been scouring the programme for any scrap of information that might hint to which character will be going to meet their maker.
Many ideas have surfaced over which character will meet a sticky end since the plot debuted in February 2023 with a special flash-forward sequence that indicated one male character had been killed by one of Albert Square’s most beloved women.
The identity of the person found dead on the Queen Vic pub floor over Christmas remains a mystery, but a crucial hint from the first teaser revealed the victim was donning a pair of unusual cufflinks.
The cufflinks’ original owner was later revealed to be Nish Panesar, which gave many fans hope that he would be the victim as the weeks went by. However, they have since changed hands numerous times, and several other characters, including Phil Mitchell, have borrowed them throughout the year.
At first, fans could keep track of who had the ornamental piece, but this week, things took an unexpected turn when Billy Mitchell and Alfie Moon started selling pairs of identical cufflinks on their market stand. Soon, almost every male figure in Walford acquired a set.
The astute pair claim that the cufflinks were first ordered for a wedding, but the event was called off after the groom became overly amicable with the bridesmaids, which Sharon Watts claimed indicated the women were “cursed.”
Despite this, she continued to queue to claim a pair, and two more victims—Martin Fowler and Zack Hudson—were added to the list after Sharon bought a pair each for them as gifts.
Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell, one of the most well-known figures who might be the murder victim, now has the original cufflinks since Jack Branning, who bought them from Nish Panesar, lent them to him for his wedding to Kat Slater.
Though Phil has earned plenty of enemies in Albert Square over the years, has he done enough to get past The Six femme fatales, who might be the murderer?
As of right now, we are aware that Sharon is keeping a very important fact about Albie’s biological father a secret from him. But what will happen when the truth is revealed? More significantly, what will be Keanu’s reaction—he thinks Albie is his son—to this?
Jack Branning
Another character whose life may be cut short in the near future is Jack Branning. This is because he possesses a pair of the cufflinks and was recently involved in a cheating scandal involving Denise Fox and Stacey Slater, two members of The Six.
After a moment of vulnerability, Jack slept with Stacey, even though he was already in a committed relationship with Denise Fox, which he later lied to his spouse about.
With Jack’s marriage in ruins and the truth shattered, would Denise take the ultimate revenge on him?
Keanu Taylor
Keanu Taylor is another figure who might be on the firing line. He just acquired a set of cufflinks after his fiancée Sharon Watts bought some in advance of their Christmas celebration.
As frequent viewers are aware, Keanu just masterminded his son’s abduction and has been scheming his way back into Sharon’s life to seize all of her money and custody as part of a complex plan that is yet unknown.
Could Sharon be devastated enough to kill him this Christmas if his lies are exposed?
Nish Panesar
Since the trailer originally appeared at the beginning of the year, viewers have been speculating about who would die, and one of the most well-liked hypotheses is that Nish Panesar will die!
As frequent viewers are aware, Nish was the first owner of the cufflinks and lost them to Rocky in a poker game. However, as he was the initial owner, it’s possible that his destiny was linked to the cursed object from the beginning.
Suki Panesar, Nish’s long-suffering wife who has been forced to live a lie under his cruel hands, is shown looking surprised as Sharon Watts looms over the body in the trailer footage, adding to the speculation.
Importantly, Nish also turned Eve Unwin’s wife, Stacy Slater, against her will. This happened after Eve had been having an affair with Suki for months, at which point he took matters into his own hands and tried to murder her.
Even though Eve eventually staged her own demise, Stacey first thought Nish was the murderer. This, together with the cufflinks and Suki’s response to the body, strongly implies that Nish may not have been the victim after all.
Ravi Gulati
Ravi Gulati, Nish’s son, is another Panesar clan member who might be next in line. Since moving to the square, he has been involved in a number of shady transactions.
Currently, Ravi is linked to two members of The Six: his stepmother Suki Panesar, whom he misled into thinking had killed his adopted father Ranveer Gulati before allowing her son Kheerat Panesar to be held accountable for the crime, and his previous romantic partner Denise Fox.
We also know that, as of Wednesday’s episode (20 December), his ex-wife Priya bought a set of the cufflinks as a gift for him, so it’s possible that he will be the next person to meet his maker.
Dean Wicks
Character Dean Wicks, who returned to Walford this autumn after a protracted hiatus from Albert Square due to his rape of Linda Carter, is a late addition to the events this year.
It’s easy to say that there is a great deal of resentment around Dean’s homecoming, with Linda in particular being hurt by how fast he returned to her life. Dean is well-liked by many people of the Square.
Dean bought a pair of cufflinks from Alfie and Billy, just like a number of other prospective victims, only to find out later that they were actually worth a decent penny and made of real platinum.
Could someone kill Dean in the hopes of reclaiming the expensive item, while laughing at the misfortune of the couple to have sold such a valuable item for significantly less than its worth?
Or will Linda kill her attacker herself to finally receive the justice she deserves?
Rocky Cotton
Another widely held belief among fans is that Rocky Cotton will pass away this Christmas because, after a terrible few months of attempting to avoid his obligations, his history finally catches up with him.
Regular viewers will recall that when Rocky attempted to burn down Kathy’s as part of an insurance scheme to pay off his spiralling debts, he came dangerously close to killing Peter and Bobby Beale in a horrific café fire.
Rocky has made an effort to atone for his transgressions on TV, but not many people, including his wife Kathy, have been willing to give him another chance. She couldn’t quite believe he could be so low.
Is her family’s safety at risk enough for her to kill him?
Martin Fowler
Martin Fowler is one of the most recent names to surface; he was not previously considered as a potential murder victim until after the show on Wednesday, when Sharon bought him a pair of cufflinks as a gift.
Though he has occasionally clashed with his fellow Albert Square tenants over the years, it doesn’t seem likely that he will be the body in the Queen Vic on Christmas Day.
Zack Hudson
Zack Hudson is the last competitor in the Christmas Whodunnit. Like Martin, he will receive the cufflinks as a unique Christmas present from Sharon.
Given the impending departure of his on-screen love interest Whitney Dean from the show, there isn’t much evidence to suggest that he has any lingering dispute with The Six. However, if Zack did pass away, it might connect into his leave plot.
ITV soap opera icon Kate Ford, who played Tracy Barlow for almost 20 years on…
Lucy Fallon plays Bethany Platt in Coronation Street.Credit: ITV/ Coronation Street Through Bethany Platt's character on…
Next week, there will be a comeback in the ITV soap opera. Roy Cropper and…
Fans of Coronation Street believe caretaker Cassie Plummer is playing Ken Barlow, so they fear…
Fans of Emmerdale are certain that they have figured out what happened to Nate Robinson…
Fans claim Nate's exit was the 'worst'... Many viewers of Emmerdale have been curious about…