EastEnders’ Ian Beale has been told plenty of lies in recent months. His partner Cindy has attempted to get back with her ex-husband George, and the pair even
shared a kiss.
Ian found about this through Elaine and decided to forgive Cindy – though he still doesn’t know that she also slept with George’s son Junior last month!
But now Ian has a secret of his own, and it appears to be a big one.
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This week, viewers have seen Ian acting shifty: snapping at his family, anxiously checking his phone, and taking secret calls. Cindy and Peter were suspicious and investigated, so Ian confessed – he is thinking of running for the local council again.
This didn’t sit right with Peter though and, in the latest episode, when Ian was supposedly at an all-day council meeting, he made a call.
Cindy was confused by Ian’s secrecy about the meeting (“It’s the council, not MI5!”) and became annoyed when he mentioned an upcoming leadership course in Manchester and was quick to stress that she can’t come with him.
Back at home, when Cindy brought up the trip, Peter confronted his dad and told him that the council said they have no record of him applying to stand in the election.
Ian eventually conceded, and said, “There is something going on, okay? And you’re not going to like it.”
Next week, Cindy will become suspicious that Ian is having an affair as he prepares to leave for his so-called course. After she makes a big discovery, she gets George to drive her to a mysterious address where they confront Ian.
But who has Ian been on the phone to, and what is his big secret? Here’s a selection of wild theories, as we impatiently wait for answers.
Jane’s return
By far the most popular theory amongst EastEnders fans online is that Ian has been meeting up with his ex-wife Jane.
Jane was last seen on screen in 2017 when Max Branning ordered her to leave Walford, as he plotted revenge after being falsely imprisoned for Lucy’s murder. Since then, there have been frequent calls for the character to return.
To support this theory, there would be good reason as to why Ian would be hiding Jane from Cindy. After all, when Bobby killed her daughter Lucy back in 2014, Jane moved the body and covered up her adoptive son’s murder for almost a year.
Jane and Cindy have never met, but you can be sure that if they ever did, they’d have a lot to talk about – and the idea of them being on screen together is a very exciting prospect.
We know that next week Bobby secretly tags along with Peter as he also heads to the same address as Cindy and George. With actor Clay Milner Russell set to leave the show this year, could the big reveal end up being a big reunion between mother and son?
Chrissie’s return
While this is a very unlikely theory, we do know that the infamous Chrissie Watts will definitely be returning to the show for a short stint later this year. The character has been in prison for a long stretch, since she was eventually charged with Dirty Den’s murder in 2005.
In the big announcement that was made last week, it was said that the details surrounding her return were being kept under wraps for now. While it is likely that Tracy-Ann Oberman is still filming her return scenes, there’s a chance – however slim – that she could be Ian’s secret.
There has already been speculation that Chrissie’s return could involve her plotting revenge on her former enemy and Den’s daughter Sharon – she is still in Walford, after all. And who better to work with than the guy who Sharon almost murdered several years ago?
Having said that, it would be nice if Ian’s mysterious caller was a complete surprise for viewers that hadn’t been teased beforehand.
Cindy Jr’s return
A return that feels unlikely but not totally out of the question is Cindy Williams, aka Cindy Jr – the child that Cindy gave birth to while in prison back in 1998.
Cindy Jr lived in Walford between 2013 and 2015 where she had a tumultuous couple of years, before moving to Germany with her boyfriend Liam.
While this was almost a decade ago now, there have been some mentions of Cindy Jr in the last year. In September Peter revealed that she and Liam had split up, and she had cut all ties and left to go travelling.
It was addressed that Cindy Jr had no idea that her mother was alive, and earlier this year Cindy went with Peter to introduce herself to her long-lost daughter off-screen. While she cut her visit short to return to Walford and help support her ex-husband George, she revealed she was there “just long enough for her to tell me she wished I really was dead.”
But in April, on the ten-year anniversary of Lucy’s death, Cindy Jr sent her mum a text, saying she hoped that she was okay. Cindy was touched by the message, but it was later revealed that Ian had encouraged Cindy Jr to drop her the text.
With Ian trying to repair their relationship, and Molly Rainford, who plays Anna Knight, saying earlier this year that she would love Cindy Jr to return, could Ian’s secret be an attempt to reunite the two Cindys?
Another return
EastEnders are renowned for sensational character returns – not least Cindy Beale herself. Fans have learnt to expect the unexpected over the years, and there is always a chance that the person Ian has been communicating with is a familiar face that no one has even thought of yet.
We’re now in the long lead up to Christmas, as well as the soap’s big 40th anniversary, and executive producer Chris Clenshaw has recently teased that there could be some big returns in store for viewers.
“As we head into our 40th year, I think the nostalgic element means a lot,” he said. “Into the autumn and the end of the year, we’ve got quite a few treats coming up.”
This presumably includes the announcement of Chrissie’s return, but who else might we see again, and could they be connected to Ian?
Something else
On the other hand, maybe Ian’s mystery caller isn’t someone we already know, rather someone who is simply involved with Ian’s big secret.
Maybe he genuinely is having an affair, and Cindy et al discover him with another woman at this address? Maybe he has a secret child that no one knew about? Or maybe he is hiding something else entirely?
Whatever Ian’s secret is, it will have major consequences for Cindy when it is revealed. Next week’s spoilers reveal that in the aftermath of the secret coming to light, she struggles to sleep as she comes to terms with the week’s events. When she later decides to talk to Ian, he has yet another shocking truth for her.
Thankfully we don’t have long to wait for the truth to come out. Is it Monday yet?
