EastEnders stars Harriet Thorpe and Michelle Collins have previewed the soap’s

dramatic Christmas week, after the major twist involving Elaine Knight and Cindy Beale.

It looked like Cindy was in the clear this week, after Kojo corroborated her version of

events from the night of his accident, making Lauren look like the liar.

But meanwhile, Elaine overheard the recording of Cindy and David’s conversation, learning the sordid truth about both Cindy’s affair with Junior and her love for former husband George.

In next week’s episodes, Lauren is distraught that she hasn’t been believed, and she lashes out at Cindy for lying about supplying the pills to her.

Peter is shaken and new pictures show him trying to hold Lauren back, but their relationship is hanging by a thread after the fire and the revelations about her painkiller addiction.

But Cindy has bigger problems to deal with, as she finds out that Elaine now knows all her secrets. Desperate, she begs Elaine not to destroy her life by exposing her affair with Junior to Ian and everyone else.

Elaine holds the power as she is armed with the explosive truth about Cindy, so she decides to make a shocking demand. It isn’t yet known what she asks, but on Christmas Eve, Cindy makes a big decision that shocks her family.

Actor Harriet Thorpe told Digital Spy and other press at a special Christmas screening: “I think Elaine is, and always has been, about survival. There’s no lengths to which she won’t go, because holding onto something that matters and helping things stay in her control is everything.

“As we’ve seen in the last few weeks, she has an alcoholic daughter, and she tries to have a front all the time. Cindy has also been tearing her down since the get go, and I think this is the final straw.”

What has been revealed is that on Christmas Day, Cindy’s secrets will be exposed in dramatic fashion, putting a spanner in the joint Beale and Knight family festivities in The Vic.

Michelle Collins wasn’t able to give too much away ahead of the much-anticipated two-part special that will air on December 25 but teased that it will deliver the expected Walford chaos.

“Classic EastEnders,” she said. “Simon Ashdown script. Karl Neilson directing. Snow, turkey, sprouts. It’s got a bit of everything for everybody. And there’s a lot of characters in it as well.”