EastEnders fans are begging for the iconic Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) to return and kill her rapist son Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) after he continued to terrorise Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) during last night's episode (Tuesday, December 12).
A struggling Linda prepared to face her first Christmas without her beloved Mick Carter (Danny Dyer), a year after he disappeared at sea on Christmas Day.
Hoping to have her family around her, she faced another devastating blow when her children Nancy Carter, Lee Carter and Johnny Carter all told her that they wouldn't be there for Christmas.
As Linda focused on organising her best friend Sharon Watts' (Letitia Dean) hen do, Anna Knight (Molly Rainford) was tasked with babysitting Linda's young children Ollie and Annie.
But things took a horrifying turn when she received a picture from Dean dressed as Santa with her son Ollie at the Beale's Eels grotto.
Knowing that the evil businessman is only sending her the photo to torment her, Linda stormed over to the pie and mash shop and furiously confronted him in front of his ill daughter Jade (Elizabeth Green).
Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) was there and wanted to punish Dean for being nasty about his family earlier so told Jade that her dad was a sexual predator.
Jade was disgusted by the revelation and left the Square after Dean tried to deny the accusation.
A seething Dean was on the warpath and went to the Vic to get his twisted revenge on Linda.
He interrupted the choir performance and played the recording of Linda's false confession that supposedly cleared him of rape in front of everyone.
Dean blackmailed Linda into falsely retracting her rape allegation against him so that he wouldn't report her stepdad George Knight (Colin Salmon) to the police for attacking him.
A distraught Linda fled the pub and unable to stand the torture any longer, she turned to drink once again after being sober for nearly a year.
Shirley has been sorely missed by fans since she left the Square nearly a year ago following her son Mick's devastating Christmas exit.
But when Dean returned to the Square, he revealed some concerning news about his mum.
He claimed that Shirley had a mental breakdown and had been placed in a psychiatric institution, unable to speak. Dean also revealed that he had convinced his mum that he didn't rape Linda and she wouldn't be coming back to Walford.
Given the twisted villain's lying past, it's possible that he may be lying about Shirley's current situation in order to terrorise Linda.
Fans are now hoping that Shirley will come back to Walford and put an end to her son's reign of terror for good...
Oh I want Shirley to come back to kill Dean and maybe that’s why they screamed in the six reveal cause they saw Shirley 🤣🙏🤣🙏#EastEndersDecember 12, 2023
I’m calling it - Phil calls Shirley and tells her what’s been happening and she comes back and kills Dean after catching him attacking Linda. At this point why not eh? #TheSix #Eastenders I want to be shocked!!December 13, 2023
Can Shirley return please #EastEndersDecember 12, 2023
Has anyone thought it might be Shirley and she sees Dean attacking Gina? OR Gina defends herself? #Eastenders #TheSixDecember 12, 2023
EastEnders continues tonight at 7:30pm on BBC One.
