Someone attacked Cindy Beale on Christmas Day which led to her being put in an induced coma – but who attacked her in EastEnders?

At the end of last night’s episode (Thursday, December 26), George looked suspicious as he was seen holding a bloodied shirt, also asking Kojo for a false alibi.

However, it now looks as though the true attacker’s identity will be revealed in February – for the soap’s 40th anniversary, RadioTimes has reported. But, who are the suspects?

1. Gina

Gina wasn’t happy that her mum was willing to leave them for France… and was livid when she realised that she was sleeping with her brother.

At the time of Cindy’s attack, Gina nipped out for some fresh air. But, did she actually hit Cindy with the shovel?

EastEnders Cindy suspect 2. Anna

Like Gina, Anna wasn’t happy when the affair got out in the open. But, Anna’s always been a fairly innocent member of the Knight family (cheating on Bobby aside.)

But, was this the final straw? Did she decide that enough was enough and lash out?

3. Junior

If we’re talking about motive, Junior had a lot of it. The whole drama started due to his affair with Cindy after all. And, when Cindy tried to beg for Ian to forgive her, making out that she didn’t even love Junior, that must’ve hurt.

Also, after Cindy was attacked, Junior could be seen just standing and staring as the police arrived. And, then he headed off to pack his backs, ready to flee to Dubai. Looks suspicious, right?

EastEnders Cindy suspect 4. Elaine

It’s no secret that Elaine wanted Cindy gone from Walford, telling her to leave just before the affair truth came out.

She felt threatened by Cindy, and was desperate for her to stay away from her family. So, it wouldn’t surprise us if she’d grabbed the shovel and got her revenge. But, did Elaine want to make sure that Cindy would actually stick to her word and get lost?

5. George

George still has feelings for Cindy, no matter how much he tries to fight it. So, after finding out that she was sleeping with his own son, that unsurprisingly didn’t go down well with him.

Last night, George asked Kojo to lie to the police for him before being seen holding a bloodied shirt. But, is this evidence from the attack?

EastEnders Cindy suspect 6. Ian

Ian was the last to arrive at the hospital (Junior never even bothered to show his face), claiming that he went for a walk to visit Lucy’s grave.

Of course, Ian felt utterly betrayed by Cindy after realising that she didn’t love him. Engaged to be married, Ian was devastated that Cindy had played away. But, he somehow expected it from her.

But, was he really at Lucy’s grave? Or, was he the one to attack his fiancé?

7. Peter

Peter wasn’t happy that his mum could cheat on his dad. It was all rather messy. But, when it came to picking sides, Peter chose to side with Ian.

And, then there’s the whole situation with Lauren… Poor Peter had every right to feel conflicted. But, did he aim to solve his problems by hitting Cindy on the head?

On the night of the attack, Lauren could be seen holding a bag of drugs. And, we all know that she was unhappy with Cindy for no longer supplying them to her. Plus, she was making Lauren keep secrets for her about Kojo’s attack. Motive, motive, motive.

Could the drugs have influenced Lauren to lash out? Did she spot Cindy alone in the cold and strike?

9. Kathy

Kathy has never been Cindy Beale’s biggest fan. That’s clear. And, now that the affair has come out, she’s been wanting to protect her son.

When the police asked Kathy where she was at the time of the attack, she admitted that she didn’t have anybody to give her an alibi. But, is this because she was the true attacker?