Is Cindy Beale dead after EastEnders airs horrific attack on Christmas Day 2024?
The focus of the story was on Cindy Beale, portrayed by Michelle Collins, as her hidden affair was revealed to both the Beale and Knight families.
Cindy had vowed to escape the country with Ian and put her terrible deeds behind her, thanks to a unexpected opportunity offered by her rival Elaine (Harriet Thorpe). However, this lifeline came with a catch, as Elaine was essentially blackmailing her, threatening to expose everything if she didn't comply.
To give her credit, Cindy seized the chance and assured that she and her partner would leave Walford right after Christmas dinner.
However, since this is EastEnders and it’s the holiday season, there was ample opportunity for an unexpected turn of events.
Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) was the one who discovered the situation. She had listened in on a conversation between Cindy and Elaine regarding the damaging tape and decided to find a way to get the evidence for herself.
In a harsh turn of events for Cindy, Lauren revealed that she had packaged the evidence as part of a Secret Santa gift, meant to be opened by someone special to her.
Naturally, Cindy couldn't bring herself to glance at Ian because she couldn't stand him. Instead, she focused on inspecting different gifts to protect herself.
The Christmas special of EastEnders wrapped up in its usual chaotic fashion... BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
George flipped out on his son for playing around with "what belongs to him," which shocked Elaine. It's important to note that Cindy is no longer involved with George, and she definitely isn't his to control.
Ian threw a punch at Junior, and they both ended up in a fight, while Lauren watched with pleasure.
Cindy attempted to clarify her situation, but it didn’t help at all. In the end, she lashed out at the whole family, highlighting their shortcomings.
After everything fell apart with the Beales, the Knight family also faced collapse, as Elaine slapped George across the face in response to his actions and then threw him out of the pub.
As Cindy hurried away to recover whatever she could from Ian, Lauren turned to Peter (Thomas Law) with a sense of victory, eager to find out if he finally believed her. However, he was fed up with her antics and warned her to keep her distance, especially considering the damage she had caused to two families this Christmas. This was particularly true after she had already disrupted her own family with her Stax (Stacey/Max) revelation back in 2007.
Cindy hurried over to the Beale house, only to find Ian in a state of distress and unwilling to hear any of her explanations.
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Taking Kathy's (Gillian Taylforth) advice to heart, he literally tossed Cindy out into the snowy street, making it clear that he was finished with her.
Cindy made up her mind that it was time to leave Walford and started arranging for a cab. However, she knew she would have to wait quite a while since it was Christmas Day.
As she strolled through the Square, the members of the Beale and Knight families, whom she had deeply wronged, were filled with anger and despair.
Cindy stared at the locket given to her by Ian, once owned by Lauren. She pressed her lips to it gently, just before a shovel struck her head.
The last scene shows her lying motionless on the ground—has Cindy passed away? And who was responsible for the attack?
Is Cindy Beale alive or dead? BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Right now, we don't know whether Cindy Beale is alive or dead in EastEnders.
We'll need to check in on Boxing Day to find out if the planner survives or not.
It would definitely add some excitement with a thrilling mystery for the 40th anniversary, but given that we just welcomed Cindy back last year, who can say for sure what will happen?!
We’ll need to stay updated and see what happens next...
EastEnders is broadcast from Monday to Thursday at 7:30 PM on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer starting at 6 AM.
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