EastEnders Christmas spoilers have revealed what’s in store for returning soap legend Pat Butcher amid a major Zoe Slater ‘truth’ twist.

Heading into the busiest week in soapland, Michelle Ryan’s Zoe has been tormented by a mysterious stalker on the BBC soap for the past few months. Back in Walford for the first time in 20 years, Zoe has been left a number of ominous messages, including a warning at the Christmas lights event telling her to ‘die’.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Zoe, with it revealed earlier in the year in a flashback sequence that she gave birth to twins in 2006. Believing her daughter is dead, Zoe has been on a mission to track down her long-lost son for several months now.

To make matters worse, Zoe is unaware that her ex-fiancée Anthony Trueman, who has been handed a restraining order from his own wife, is seemingly obsessed with her. Prior to spending the night together, viewers learned that the doctor was keeping lots of pictures of his ex on his laptop.

In scenes aired this week a number of secrets about Zoe’s past came to light. On top of Anthony Trueman learning that he’s likely the father of Zoe’s children, the mysterious Jasmine admitted to police that she’s her daughter. Whether Jasmine comes clean to her mum remains to be seen.

EastEnders fans were left stunned last month when the BBC revealed that a special episode will air looking at Nigel Bates’s dementia as Phil Mitchell’s best friend seeks advice from faces of the past in the form of Pat Evans and Barry Evans. Pat died of cancer in 2012, while Barry was fatally pushed down a mountain by Janine Butcher in 2004.

It’s not often that Christmas goes off without a hitch on Albert Square, with the most wonderful time of the year normally resulting in affairs being exposed and murders taking place. Judging from the latest spoilers, 2025 isn’t going to be any jollier.

Christmas week will begin on Monday, December 22, which marks the day of Nigel’s film screening, but Phil and Julie are preoccupied by their disagreement over care options for Nigel. The residents gather at the community centre for the screening where Lexi Pearce takes control of the event, having directed the film.

Sam Mitchell arrives, but Kat Slater soon makes it clear she is not welcome and is stunned when Julie drops the bombshell that she has been back in the country for months. Nigel gets up to make a speech, where Julie joins him on stage after he loses his place. With the spotlight on them both, Nigel notices a bruise on Julie’s face, and upon realising he is to blame flees the scene.

Phil and Julie head out in search of Nigel, and it’s not long before the pair argue once again about what’s best for him. Unbeknownst to them, Nigel overhears their disagreement, and after confronting them, he demands to be left alone as he heads to the closed Vic in search of solace.

Meanwhile, following the exposure of a secret, Max Branning vents his frustrations among his family as his daughter Lauren and brother Jack try to control the situation. Vowing to support him, Lauren and Jack believe they have talked Max out of acting irrationally, but their best intentions are scuppered when he accepts advice from Zoe, and decides to make a decision he may come to regret.

Anthony’s demeanour continues to cause concern at home. Elsewhere, it’s awkward between Vicki Fowler and Zack Hudson in the café when Zack overhears Ross Marshall asking his ex if he can move back into No.43. Vicki attempts to cut the tension, and gives Zack advice on a gift idea for Barney, who he learned was his son earlier in the year.

On Tuesday, December 23, Nigel confuses past memories with the present as his dementia symptoms intensify, and in his increased state of confusion, he is visited by familiar faces of Christmas past in the form of Pat and Barry Evans. As Nigel struggles to decipher his current sense of reality, Phil and Julie soon find him in The Vic. Phil finally comes to the realisation that he and Julie need more help with Nigel’s care.

While this is happening, the residents of Walford continue to watch Nigel’s film, unaware of the drama surrounding it, with Elaine Peacock and Ian Beale in starring roles. Phil puts an end to the festivities and orders everyone to leave as the emotion of the evening catches up with him, but once alone with the film, he has a realisation.

Christmas Eve will be set on the day of Yolande Trueman’s carol service as the town is abuzz with festive spirit. Patrick and Chelsea attempt to rally Anthony on his first Christmas away from his ex-wife and children, but it’s clear he’s not in the mood for festivities.

At The Vic, the Slaters attempt to buoy Zoe in the midst of her stalker ordeal as they try to put recent events aside for the next couple of days to celebrate Christmas. Kat is shocked when she bumps into Sam in The Vic, and immediately questions whether she is Zoe’s stalker. Sam soon reveals she has cancer and is there to seek support from Zack. Later, Kat and Alife head to the carol concert, but Zoe stays home where she makes a shocking discovery. It’s a letter from her son.

Elsewhere, Max’s actions make an enemy of himself amongst the Square, and he attempts to put things right with his youngest son Oscar. Max is waylaid by Linda Carter as he attempts to resolve another one of his feuds. Oscar drowns his sorrows alone before joining the rest of the family at the carol concert. Feeling let down by his dad once again, and with too much Christmas spirit, Oscar makes a revelation to Max which threatens to derail the Branning’s Christmas festivities.

Following a traumatic day for Nigel, Julie, Phil and Sam rally around him, but it’s clear he doesn’t remember. Inspired by Nigel, Sam and Phil have a heart-to-heart about family. Meanwhile, it’s clear Zack still has feelings for Vicki which haven’t gone unnoticed by Barney.

The annual Christmas Day episode is centred around the Slaters’ preparing to celebrate their first Christmas being back together as a family in The Vic. However, Zoe is on tenterhooks following her discovery. The community dinner in The Vic gets off to a rocky start after the Slaters find themselves in an argument with another family after a truth is revealed.

As one situation resolves, another is just on the horizon and Kat takes matters into her own hands by emptying the pub of punters in protection of her daughter. However, neither could have predicted what was about to happen next, and a worrying situation escalates which has catastrophic consequences for all involved.

With The Vic off limits, and hungry punters to feed, Zack takes the Christmas dinner back to No.31 in a last-ditch attempt to save Christmas. Elsewhere, the Brannings and the Beales prepare to eat Christmas dinner together as a family at No.45, as Kathy and Harvey Monroe get into the festive spirit. Cindy’s return causes Ian and Peter to spring into action to keep her away from Max, but they offend her in the process by telling her she’s not welcome.

As the dinner commences, it’s clear Max is still brewing over Oscar’s revelation, and it’s not long before chaos ensues when more than one truth sparks fireworks at the dinner table for all involved. On Boxing Day, police officers swarm the Square as Walford reacts to the fallout of an explosive Christmas Day. With shocking secrets exposed, and more questions than answers, those in the midst of the drama struggle to see a way forward. The Mitchells enjoy a family dinner, and Nigel puts preparations in place to make this Christmas an extra special one.