EastEnders’ Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) steps up in dramatic scenes next week when she catches Joel Marshall (Max Murray) deliberately provoking Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
The explosive moment comes after a difficult period for Stacey, who has already been through the wringer thanks to Joel’s disturbing actions.
Ever since Joel arrived in Walford earlier this year, he has been nothing but trouble, quickly earning a reputation for stirring up conflict and targeting vulnerable Walford residents.
Just days earlier, Stacey was left humiliated when her SecretCam pictures and videos were leaked online. The violation was a devastating blow for Stacey, who has endured her fair share of heartbreak and upset in the past few months.
She immediately suspected Joel, given his recent fixation on her and his previous attempts to undermine her confidence. She confronted him in a tense showdown, but Ross jumped to his son’s defence, whisking Joel away before Stacey could get any answers.
Joel later handed Ross his laptop, claiming he had nothing to hide, and managed to convince his father he was not responsible for the leak.
Despite the lack of hard evidence, Stacey stood her ground and reported him to the police, only to be left gutted when they decided to take no further action. Getting out scot-free seemed to embolden Joel even further.
Fuelled by anger, Joel shifted his focus to Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) after discovering that she had a termination. In typical fashion, he stormed over, looking to provoke a reaction, forcing Priya (Sophie Khan Levy) to plead with Ravi (Aaron Thiara) to stay calm.
Later, he publicly berated Avani in the street, leaving her shaken. Vicki, who had already begun to see through Joel’s facade, stepped in and dragged him away, giving him a strong warning in the process.
But Joel just will not stop.
In upcoming scenes, he is seen deliberately goading Stacey yet again, clearly enjoying the distress he is causing.
This time, however, Vicki catches him in the act. Outraged, she confronts him on the spot, making it clear that she will not stand for any more of his cruelty.
