EastEnders 2023: Spoilers for the year ahead

EastEnders ended the year on an explosive note which saw beloved Queen Vic owner Mick Carter lost at sea and the surprise pregnancy of 12-year-old Lily Slater.

And the BBC One soap is set for another wild year as viewers can expect to see Linda Carter taking on a whole new chapter and Zack Hudson’s shocking discovery.

It seems the drama is just getting started with “exploding secrets, heart-stopping drama and devastating angst” promised by BBC bosses.

Just before Christmas, Shirley Carter lived through a heartbreaking week in Walford after learning her son Mick was “lost at sea” after a horrific accident when he jumped into the English Channel to save his loving ex-wife Linda.

While processing the tragic event, fans watched as Shirley decided to leave the Square and stay with her daughter Carly, away from Walford.

Dazed with heartbreak, back at the Queen Vic, Linda struggles to cope with the loss of Mick as she prepares to take on a ‘groundbreaking’ new story.

EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw said digital spy: ‘She’s not going to get over Mick very quickly.

“She met him and then he was taken away from her, so it won’t be all smiles right away, but there are big plans for Linda.”

“She’s going to start filming something in January that comes out in February and it’s something that we as a show haven’t done before. Linda is at the center of that.

Meanwhile, Zack is ready for a rocky start to the New Year when he meets the surprising arrival of an old acquaintance, Brett.

After informing his pregnant girlfriend, Whitney Dean, that she’s been offered her dream job aboard a cruise ship, things get even more complicated for the couple.

The bartender’s relationship with Whitney spirals into an emotional whirlwind when he is forced to confront his troubled past.

Unnerved by the arrival of his old friend, things heat up when Zack tries to talk Brett out of Walford, only for him to deliver a bombshell that proves to be too much for Zack.

Going back to his old ways, Zack tries to hide the truth, drinking his sorrows away at a club and getting into a drunken fight with Whitney.

BBC spoilers tease: “As the product of a deeply dysfunctional father, Zack is determined that history not repeat itself.” But a shocking discovery sends his life into a tailspin.

Elsewhere, Lily’s mother, Stacey (Lacey Turner), was stunned when a doctor revealed her little girl was pregnant, following her rush to the hospital amid the carbon dioxide leak on New Year’s Eve.

Although Lily was alarmed to find out she was pregnant, she refused to reveal the identity of the father, causing a concerned Stacey to fear that an adult had set her up.

The young man then confirms that the father is Ricky Junior, the 12-year-old son of Sam Mitchell and Jack Branning.

As Stacey tries to deal with the fallout, she has yet to break the news to her ex Martin Fowler, and the two become entwined in a new story.

Elsewhere in Walford, Lola Pearce’s health will deteriorate after she was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor last year and her time with Jay Brown is running out.

when faced with Realizing heartbreakingly that she has to make the most of the time she has left, Lola sets out to uncover a few details about her past, which could provide the link to the arrival of her long-lost mother, Emma Harding.

Jack Branning and Denise Fox come to a head as they struggle to help their daughter Amy with her mental health issues.

The couple’s marriage is further tested when Ravi Gulati lends Denise a shoulder to cry on as they bond over their parenting trails and woes.

‘Jack and Denise, your relationship will be tested. Someone else is getting… soft on Denise. The question is whether she will resist or be tempted,” producer Chris said.

Viewers were shocked by Keanu Taylor’s arrival in Walford amid news of a kidnapping threat.

A major twist saw him team up with his onetime rival Phil Mitchell, as they worked together to take down DCI Keeble.

Their friendship took a turn around Christmas when Phil found out that he had slept with her sister, Sam, when they were both in Spain.

Phil warns Keanu to leave Walford for good, hanging in the balance of Keanu’s relationship with Sharon Watts and her son Albie.

Finally, as the Kat Slater, Alfie Moon and Phil love triangle rumbles on, it’s likely that Phil, once a tough man, may be in the mood for revenge given the Keanu and Sharon situation and the drama with Kat.

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One.