A battle looms over the Queen Vic on EastEnders next week, as there are two opposing bids for the pub by the Square’s most iconic families.

With both Ian Beale and Stacey Slater determined to take over the Walford business, who will end up behind the bar?

“With The Vic now up for grabs, we’re about to enter a brand-new E20 era,” teases our EastEnders insider.

“Prepare for all-out war as it’s decided who will be at the helm. The Beales and the Slaters are set to go head-to-head for the pub – which clan will come out on top?”

Linda Carter and Elaine Knight have finally agreed to sell their shares, choosing to make a fresh start after a traumatic time.

It’s especially emotional for Linda, who’s been the landlady for the best part of 12 years, and next week she reveals to Kat Slater that the pub will be sold at auction.

This news sparks the interest of Ian, who tells Kathy and Harvey Monroe that he is keen to rebuild the Beale empire.

He confirms that he’s going to bid for The Vic and makes a point of sharing his big plans with Kat and Stacey.

As word spreads among the Slaters, Jean fears that she will lose her cleaning job if the Beales were to take charge. Kat and Stacey want to help, so they put their heads together and devise a cunning plan…

“Ian hasn’t even considered that there might be a rival bid,” our source adds.

“So he gets a huge shock when he finds out that Stacey has won £100k on a scratchcard – and is planning to put in an offer too. He has a major fight on his hands…”