The actor at the center of a major EastEnders plot twist has shared their reaction to the soap’s revealing Christmas Day episode. Fans had eagerly anticipated the resolution to a mystery introduced in a surprise flashforward episode in February.
Taking place on Christmas Day 2023, the episode hinted at the death of a male character, surrounded by Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal).
For the past 10 months, EastEnders viewers have speculated about the identity of the victim and which of the six characters would be unveiled as the murderer. In the latest episode, the long-standing mystery was finally resolved.
In the final moments of the hour-long episode, Linda, portrayed by Kellie Bright since 2013, unexpectedly kills Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). The surprise factor was heightened by preceding twists: Denise protected Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) from her abusive husband Nish (Navin Chowdhry) by attacking him, leading many to initially believe Nish would be the victim of the mysterious murder.
Despite surviving the attack, Nish is spared, but Keanu faces a different fate. Upon his violent confrontation with Sharon at the Queen Vic, Linda, uncertain about how to intervene, ends up stabbing him in the back to save her best friend. The shocking revelation was shared with Bright on a BBC Three spin-off show, discussing one of the soap’s longest-running storylines in its 38-year history.
When executive producer Chris Clenshaw informed Bright of the plot twist in September, her initial reaction was, “Are you joking? Oh no. I don’t mind being the murderer. Oh Jesus, why have you done this to me? You know what’s the first thing going through my head? Now I’ve got to not tell anyone.”
Reflecting on the revelation, Bright added, “I didn’t see that coming. What’s going to become of me? Murderers go to prison.”
KELLIE BRIGHT BEING TOLD THAT LINDA CARTER IS THE SIX MURDERER #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/v1kgE8wSkv
— Kellie Bright is a Queen (@KellieBrightLY) December 25, 2023
Concerns about Linda’s fate in the BBC soap are spreading on social media, with fans expressing worry about her potential departure. One person pleaded, “SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME THIS DOESN’T MEAN SHE’S LEAVING?!” Another fan voiced concern for Linda’s career, saying, “Her career flashing before her eyes at the prospect of Linda going to jail…”
Adding to the sentiments, another fan chimed in with, “Linda Carter better be getting away with it cause I can’t lose her.” The EastEnders Christmas Day special is now accessible for streaming on BBC iPlayer.
