EASTENDERS is set to air a shocking Christmas death that will leave the Carter family devastated.
With filming for the festive scenes on the BBC One soap now underway, exclusive snaps show the cast gathered for a funeral.
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A white coffin can be seen being carried into the church as mourners gather behind.
The casket – which has a pink rose on top – is being held by Lee Carter as Danny Hatchard reprises his role three years after leaving Albert Square.
Walford policeman Callum Highway – and close friend of the Carter family – is also snapped in the proceedings.
Maddy Hill has also been spotted on location as she returns as Mick and Linda’s feisty daughter Nancy.
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Linda Carter is nowhere to be seen on set, sparking fears Kellie Bright’s character is the deceased family member.
However, this could be a red herring from EastEnders producers, as they aim to throw viewers off the scent.
Keanu Taylor was last Christmas’ murder victim during ‘The Six’ storyline as Linda plunged a carving fork into his back.
But Beeb bosses launched a ploy to divert attention from the death by having Danny Walters snapped at an airport and on set for another funeral scene – not his own.
It led fans to speculate he wasn’t the victim of the explosive storyline, preventing the highly anticipated episode from being spoiled.
So fans will be hoping that there’s every chance Kellie is being kept out of sight and Linda will live to see another New Year.
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However, other onset shots show Johnny Carter in a bad way and carried out of the church blindly drunk by his older brother Lee.
He later swigs a bottle of vodka on a gravestone while Linda’s mum Elaine and her granddaughter have a furious bust-up.
Nancy can be seen exchanging stern words with her before she ultimately smacks her across the face in dramatic scenes.
Sharon Watts, Linda’s long-term best friend, is also snapped at the service wearing full black attire.
In Christmas 2022, the Carter clan faced another tragedy as Mick’s body was seemingly washed out to sea after a showdown with Janine Butcher.
The publican – played by Danny Dyer – was presumed dead, which sent Linda into a spiral as her alcoholism deepened.
Now almost three years on from Mick’s demise, it remains to be seen if Linda has also met her fate.
Linda arrived on the Square on Boxing Day in 2013, along with her husband Mick (Danny Dyer) and has been a hit with soap fans ever since.
Her first storylines revolved around the fact that she struggled to come to terms that her son Johnny is gay
In a storyline that had long-lasting repercussions, she was then raped by Mick’s brother Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo).
She fell pregnant shortly after and then was left devastated emotionally when she gave birth to a premature baby after falling down the stairs.
Things soon got worse for Linda after she discovered that her husband Mick kissed their daughter-in-law Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), who was married to their veteran son Lee (Danny Hatchard).
One of her more memorable storylines was when she was accused of perverting the course of justice. This was after Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) is shot and she was falsely accused of attempted murder.
Over the years she has suffered from a variety of illnesses and disorders which include bulimia, alcoholism, and a secret battle with cervical cancer. After she gave birth to her youngest son Ollie (Harry Farr), she also had to deal with his autism diagnosis.
Although she and Mick seemed to be the perfect couple, the pair split up for a short time after she had an affair with Max Branning (Jake Wood). This lead to another pregnancy.
However, the pair finally got divorced after Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) set her eyes on Mick. She wanted the landlord all to herself and she lured Linda rival back into alcoholism to drive a wedge between them.
After this led to Mick’s apparent death at sea, she struggled to adjust to life without her ex-husband and the true love of her life. This was just after the pair decided to have another go at their relationship.
Recently, Linda was the person who was at the very centre during ‘The Six’ storyline. She tried to save her best friend Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) when she was being strangled by Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). When she killed him with a meat thermometer, the group framed her rapist Dead Wicks after he returned to the square. Since then, she has struggled to cope.
