Series 25

Sean contacts Roxy and Stacey as the new year dawns, but what is he planning? Meanwhile Ricky tries to bring new year cheer to Bianca's brood, and Danielle betrays Stacey.

Sean returns to say goodbye to Roxy and Amy, Whitney struggles to fit in, and Shirley starts Heather's year with a bang.

Tanya is forced to make a decision that will affect her family's future, Janine attempts to help Whitney, and Stacey tries to keep the truth about Sean from Jean.

Max reels from recent revelations as he struggles to keep his family together, and Tanya asks him to make a difficult choice. Meanwhile, Whitney tracks down her birth mother.

Dot discovers the truth behind Nick's return when she throws a party to introduce her granddaughter to the Square. Meanwhile, Janine puts her devilish plan into action.

Janine shows Jay who is in control as her dirty work comes to light, and Danielle lets Stacey down, with serious consequences. Meanwhile, Lauren makes a heartbreaking decision.

Dot struggles with Nick's proposition, but will she agree to his demands? Meanwhile, Danielle tries to bond with Ronnie, but keeps a big secret to herself in the process.

Lucas faces the wrath of Denise, and even a surprise proposal is not enough to win her over. Meanwhile, Jean sinks further into depression in spite of Stacey's best efforts.

Denise realises her mistake thanks to Zainab, but is it too late for Lucas? Danielle is delighted when Ronnie takes pity on her, but Ronnie's mood soon sours when Roxy visits.

Lucas and Denise relish their engagement until a shock announcement ends their celebrations, while Stacey is forced to ask for help when Jean almost comes to harm.

Jean makes a decision that breaks Stacey's heart. Danielle receives a surprise visitor. A frustrated Denise is forced into energetic action to calm her fraying nerves.

Max prepares the Branning household for Tanya's return, but how will she react to news about Lauren? Janine's plans to escape from Walford are thwarted by a vengeful Peggy.

A hardened Tanya sets about rebuilding her life, leaving Abi feeling left out in the cold, while Jack takes pity on Max. Meanwhile, Ronnie and Janine go head-to-head.

As Dotty eagerly prepares for Jim's visit, Dot reveals her anxieties to Bradley. Tanya enlists Jane's help in a desperate attempt to contact Lauren, and Janine makes Jack an offer.

The return of an unexpected guest horrifies Dot, Tanya is devastated to discover the reason behind Lauren's choice to stay in care, and Jay is angry when Billy throws Marissa out.

As Janine gets closer to Ronnie, Billy's loyalties are put to the test. Meanwhile, Jay has a plan to save Marissa, Denise wants to bring Yolande home, and Max surprises Bradley.

Janine's game-playing gets her into trouble with Jack. Meanwhile, Patrick faces heartache, and Jay's plan is foiled.

Janine gets her own back on Jack, leaving him chained to the club. Meanwhile, Bradley is not impressed with his dad's idea of entertainment, and has Jay had enough of the Square?

As Jack dangles on a chain, will Janine win a prize? And as things hot up between Zainab and Jane in the kitchen, Patrick has found solace at home.

Jane's nightmare day goes from bad to worse, Janine makes her first mark on Walford, and Danielle reaches out to Ronnie.

Danielle is torn between Ronnie and Stacey, but which way will she turn? Ian takes matters into his own hands to escape from Linda, and Archie sets his sights on Peggy's campaign.

Ronnie supports Danielle through a life-changing decision, while Christian is horrified at the appearance of a surprise guest, and Darren is tempted over to Janine's dark side.

Ronnie breaks Danielle's heart. On Tiffany's birthday, Bianca makes a shocking confession. Christian struggles with his mother's decision.

Ricky unwittingly discovers Bianca's secret, a new Garry lays it on the line with Dawn, and Shirley concocts an outrageous plan to cheer up Heather.

Ricky and Bianca struggle with the truth, while Whitney's date ends in disaster, and Garry makes a crushing decision. Elsewhere, Hev and Shirl do a little breaking and entering.

Ricky discovers that Whitney is more damaged than anyone ever thought, while Hev and Shirl narrowly escape from George Michael's security.

Shirl hurts Heather in the worst way possible, while Bianca and Ricky unite for a life-changing decision. Dawn and Minty are forced to face the truth about Garry's disappearance.

Dawn refuses to accept the devastating news about Garry, while Minty struggles to break her out of her denial. Meanwhile, Ian has a radical solution to his business problems.

Max reels from recent revelations as he struggles to keep his family together, and Tanya asks him to make the biggest choice of his life. Whitney tracks down her birth mother, but will she get the response she is hoping for? Stacey breaks bad news to Jean, and Pat takes Janine to task.

Archie invites Sam to lunch and tries to persuade her to move in, she’s tempted but Ricky thinks it’s a bad idea. Archie then asks Billy to move in. When Peggy refuses to give Billy a job, he decides to take up Archie’s offer. Janine arrives with a man from the council to sort out Archie’s wasps’ nest. She wonders what Archie’s plans are. When Archie mentions that in his day they used to smoke wasps out, Janine decides that’s exactly what they should do to the Mitchells’. Billy and Jay need somewhere to live, but they need a deposit first. Lucy taunts Jay about being homeless and later brags about how much her new phone cost. Lucy tells Ian she won the phone, but he confiscates it. Lucy persuades Jane to give the phone back. A hooded boy mugs Lucy. She falls to the floor injured, the mugger hesitates and pulls back his hood – it’s Jay. Syed waits nervously for the post. When he receives a text ‘Today £300 cash’, Syed complies, leaving the money in a phone box. Blackmailer Lucy uses the money to buy her new phone. Christian thinks Syed was stupid to pay the blackmailer, but ends up comforting him. The men jump apart when Amira walks in and claim they’re discussing the wedding. Lucas gives Denise an engagement ring and they set a wedding date. They celebrate in the Vic with Pat, Patrick and Liz and discuss the dance competition. Lucas is shocked when Owen walks in. Realising that Jane is avoiding book club because Heather and George will be there, Tanya invites her over for a drink. Jane tells Tanya how much she wants a baby. She borrows Oscar and leaves him with Ian, in an attempt to win Ian round.

Archie’s decided against torching the Vic, even though Janine tells him if it looks like an inside job, the insurance won’t pay up and the Mitchells will be forced to sell. Janine tells Peggy that Billy’s living with Archie. Peggy’s angry and confronts Billy; she’s surprised when he stands up to her. Archie realises the Vic is going to be empty that night as the Vic is ‘on tour’ at the firework party. As Billy and Jay toast Archie, he visits Janine and hands her some matches, telling her he’s had a change of heart. They’re going to do it - and pin it on Billy. Ian’s time with Oscar goes well, and he tells Jane he’ll consider adopting. Then Lucy arrives home. When Ian finds out Lucy’s mugger was after her phone, he’s angry with Jane for giving it back to her. They argue and Jane’s upset when Ian refers to Lucy as ‘my’ daughter. Ian tells Jane no one will give her a child while she’s in a state like this. When Masood falls asleep in the café, Christian retrieves a card from the blackmailer from a pile of post. Christian decides to tackle the problem head on, and when Syed accidentally leaves his phone, Christian uses it to call the blackmailer. The phone rings in a bin and Christian’s surprised to see Masood answer it. Christian follows Masood to the pub, the phone rings again, it’s Ian – Lucy’s been mugged. Denise isn’t happy that Owen has decided to stay in Walford. Liz makes Owen show Denise his bruises. Denise can’t believe that Lucas hit Owen and is furious when Lucas admits that he did. Jay helps Lucy home without admitting he was the one who attacked her. He dumps her phone in a bin.

The fire in the barrel store starts to take hold, but when Archie hears Peggy shout, he quickly extinguishes the flames. Peggy’s suspicious but Archie insists the fire must have been started by kids, claiming he saw them run away. Janine tells Archie no one can prove he’s anything but a hero, but Archie’s haunted by the thought he could have killed Peggy. Peggy finds Billy’s wallet and summons Archie back to the Vic. Sure Archie started the fire, Peggy plies him with drink and shows him Billy’s wallet. Archie admits nothing. They kiss. Masood makes light of the kiss, but tells Jane it’s probably best if Ian and Zainab never find out. Lucy’s worried that Jane’s going to leave, but Ian reassures her. Jane and Ian talk, he tells her he’s willing to give the adoption a go. Jane’s excited, but soon realises Ian’s only doing it for her. Jane decides she needs to go away to think things through. Ian gives her an ultimatum, if she leaves now, she never comes back. He doesn’t understand why she would choose a child that might not exist yet, over him and three children who love her. In floods of tears Jane gets into a taxi and Ian watches as she’s driven away. Denise visits Owen to apologise; once again he tries to warn her about Lucas. Unaware that Lucas saw her leaving the Brannings’, Denise doesn’t tell Lucas she visited Owen. Knife in his pocket, Lucas visits Owen, who tells Lucas exactly what he said to Denise. Lucas puts his hand in his pocket and squeezes the blade of his knife. Owen tries to goad Lucas into hitting him. Lucas tells Owen he’s got one week to leave, he shakes Owen’s hand and leaves. Owen looks at his hand; it’s covered in Lucas’ blood.

The fire in the barrel store starts to take hold, but when Archie hears Peggy shout, he quickly extinguishes the flames. Peggy’s suspicious but Archie insists the fire must have been started by kids, claiming he saw them run away. Janine tells Archie no one can prove he’s anything but a hero, but Archie’s haunted by the thought he could have killed Peggy. Peggy finds Billy’s wallet and summons Archie back to the Vic. Sure Archie started the fire, Peggy plies him with drink and shows him Billy’s wallet. Archie admits nothing. They kiss. Masood makes light of the kiss, but tells Jane it’s probably best if Ian and Zainab never find out. Lucy’s worried that Jane’s going to leave, but Ian reassures her. Jane and Ian talk, he tells her he’s willing to give the adoption a go. Jane’s excited, but soon realises Ian’s only doing it for her. Jane decides she needs to go away to think things through. Ian gives her an ultimatum, if she leaves now, she never comes back. He doesn’t understand why she would choose a child that might not exist yet, over him and three children who love her. In floods of tears Jane gets into a taxi and Ian watches as she’s driven away. Denise visits Owen to apologise; once again he tries to warn her about Lucas. Unaware that Lucas saw her leaving the Brannings’, Denise doesn’t tell Lucas she visited Owen. Knife in his pocket, Lucas visits Owen, who tells Lucas exactly what he said to Denise. Lucas puts his hand in his pocket and squeezes the blade of his knife. Owen tries to goad Lucas into hitting him. Lucas tells Owen he’s got one week to leave, he shakes Owen’s hand and leaves. Owen looks at his hand; it’s covered in Lucas’ blood.

Happy Hour is a success at the Vic. Lucas asks Jordan to be his best man, Peggy and Archie take their relationship a step further and Ronnie and Owen have a heart-to-heart.

Owen and Ronnie agree to keep the previous night a secret but Roxy smells a rat. When Owen comes round to see Ronnie, Roxy works out what has happened. Denise overhears Roxy and Ronnie talking about it and takes Ronnie aside to warn Ronnie off him. Owen over hears Ronnie suggesting that Denise is still in love with Owen and when she doesn’t deny it, Owen can’t believe his ears. Lucas tells Owen that he wants him gone by the end of the week. Denise tries to seduce Lucas who tells her he wants to wait until the wedding. Lucy is still house bound and after being threatened by Syed she starts to believe he is her attacker. Jay suggests she regain her confidence by having boxing lessons with Owen. It works and with her newly found confidence she confronts Syed. Pat gets suspicious when Peggy cancels their lunch date. Later, when Peggy calls her to rearrange, her curiosity gets the better of her and she hits redial. When Archie answers she realises Peggy is seeing Archie again. In an effort to distract Whitney from the trial, Ryan asks her to design t-shirts for the stall. He has even designed a website and Whitney is delighted when she receives an order for 500 t-shirts. Ricky later admits to Bianca that he ordered them; he only meant to order 5. Ian has a terrible hangover and in an effort to cheer himself up he puts one of his properties up for sale. Max helps Abi and Jordan raise money for Trina’s tree making £100. Tanya suggests that they will make a hefty contribution, Max is concerned. Later he tells Peggy that a loss adjustor will be sent round to check the claim is legitimate.

Owen tells Ronnie that he heard everything - it's clear she thinks that Denise still has feelings for him. Liz encourages Owen to pursue a relationship with Ronnie, but he is after Denise. Lucas is annoyed when Denise avoids a meeting with the Pastor. Later she admits to Patrick that she still has feelings for Owen. Owen asks Denise if she wants to with him not Lucas Pat tells Peggy that she knows about her and Archie and persuades her to end it. When Peggy rejects Archie, he tells her his cancer has returned. Max’s fake loss adjustor visits The Vic; Max is paying him to say Peggy’s Insurance claim is unauthentic. Ian asks Tanya for a makeover and offers Ian her support. She is disgusted when later, thinking Ian has invited her round to help her get approval from the council for Trina’s tree, he propositions her. Bianca and Ricky encourage Whitney’s doubts about whether she can really cope with the size of the t-shirt order. Ricky is too embarrassed to tell Sam that he accidently ordered them as she brightly suggests she can get Whitney an investor. Sam goes to Jack, who agrees to fund Whitney is exchange for a cut of the profits. Sam wants Jack to take her out but he has already agreed to help stressed Roxy with Amy’s first birthday. She thinks Roxy is taking advantage of him and sees him as a cash cow. Lucy tells Christian that she is going to the police as she believes Syed mugged her. Jay who has grown close to Lucy still can’t bring himself to tell her that he was responsible. Later Syed and Christian visit Lucy to prove Syed’s innocence, Syed has copies of emails he sent at the time of the mugging.

Sam ends it with Jack but someone sees their final kiss. Meanwhile Roxy battles alone to give Amy the best birthday party ever, Lucy goes to see Jane, and the long arm of the law finally reaches out for Owen.

Archie causes trouble between Sam & Ricky, when she refuses to leave the square. Libby visits Owen, Roxy calls a truce with Jack. Phil threatens to report Max's fraud to the police, making it harder to hide it from Tanya.

Sam is forced to face Bianca & Roxy's wrath over her affair with Jack. Max sets his sights on the cash Shirley gave to Heather. Denise is determined to go ahead with the wedding, even after Owen tries to turn her against Lucas.

Archie tempts Sam with a wad of cash and she agonises over whether to take the money and run. Owen asks Liz to help him prove Lucas is hiding something, while Chelsea hopes Dr Jenkins will be her date for Denise's wedding. Bianca and Ricky share a romantic moment during the Children in Need dance contest.

Phil’s angry because Peggy’s asked Grant for money and claims he’s sorting things. Word spreads that Phil’s planning to sell the Arches. Phil tells Grant they don’t need his money. Pat makes Phil an offer for the Arches, which he eventually accepts. Peggy’s furious and decides to visit Grant in Portugal. Max assures Phil he’ll get the money he owes him. Phil tells Max they’re going to take it from Ian. Ian buys a hot tub, but has no one to share it with. Masood confronts Ian – surely he can afford to pay back Masala Queen? Ian refuses. Denise triumphantly drags her exercise bike outside complete with ‘for sale’ sign. Jordan and Abi try to get to the bottom of the Trina’s tree planting mystery. Libby and Chelsea persuade Denise and Lucas to stay for a buffet tea. Lucas spots a workman preparing to dig the tree up, and persuades him not to. At the buffet, Lucas is nervous when Denise suggests that she knows who planted the tree, but she just thinks Lucas has done a kind thing for Jordan. Denise and Lucas set off on honeymoon. Denise tells Kim that Dexter came on to Chelsea. Chelsea and Denise are dismayed to see Kim and Dexter still together at the buffet. Kim admits she can’t live without him. Shamefaced, Liz stumbles out of the Slaters’ and realises she’s lost an earring. When Charlie tries to return the earring, Patrick sees it and mistakenly jumps to the conclusion that the pair slept together. Liz tells Charlie that she’s not looking for a relationship. Libby’s thrilled when Darren suggests a trip to Barcelona for New Year. Darren feels guilty when he sees Heather struggling to pay for some shopping and gives her some money. Max refuses to return Heather’s insurance money.

Denise's hen party is gatecrashed by Owen, who claims to know the truth about Trina's death - and a revelation regarding the bracelet later confirms his suspicions. Phil confesses the extent of his money problems to Peggy, and Chelsea tries to flirt with Dr Jenkins in his office - but Roxy's unexpected arrival leads to an embarrassing scene.

Hour-long edition. Owen prepares to make his move and expose Lucas as Denise gets ready for the wedding, but knowing he is running out of options, the groom refuses to jeopardise his big day and takes drastic action to stop the truth from coming out. Meanwhile, as the loan shark puts more pressure on Phil, Lucy sees a chance to take advantage of his financial position, and Manda tells Darren she knows his secret

Lucas tries to cover his tracks and fears the worst when Denise reveals she knows what he has done. Peggy is furious to learn Pat is the new owner of the Arches, Max spots another money-making opportunity when Ian shows off his new hot tub, and a disappointed Patrick uncovers Liz and Charlie's relationship.

Ronnie returns to the Square with good news for her family as Roxy prepares to tell her about Sam's disappearance. Phil recruits Max in a plan to con Ian out of thousands, but their scheme soon goes awry, while Whitney is told about Tony's attempted suicide ahead of his trial.

With time running out for Phil, he and Max put the finishing touches to their scam, unaware that Ian and Masood have rumbled them. Roxy realises that Owen is the father of Ronnie's unborn child as Liz wonders about her son's whereabouts, while Whitney secretly writes Tony a letter.

An exhausted Masood heads for disaster when he gets behind the wheel of his taxi, while Phil swallows his pride to ensure his family's safety and goes to Ian for a loan. Max tries to con Bradley's mother as he faces more unpaid bills, and Whitney's advice lands Tiffany in trouble.

Masood's car accident makes Syed re-evaluate his relationship with Christian as Bradley's mother Rachel remains critical in hospital. Archie tries to persuade Ian to sell Phil's debt to him, knowing it will get him closer to the Vic, while Ryan's betrayal forces Whitney to confront her feelings for Tony.

Whitney's world is shattered by a home truth. Meanwhile, Jean finally comes face to face with Stacey, Janine plots away, and Bradley returns to Walford.

Tony's trial descends into chaos. Bradley makes a huge admission to Stacey, and Max's world begins to crumble.

What will Tanya do when confronted with more of Max's deceit? Whitney is finally forced to face what Tony did to her, and Bradley has to make a tough decision.

As Janine gets closer to Archie, Billy discovers their wicked plan. Meanwhile Ian's day goes from bad to worse, Masood frets as Zainab and Amira make extravagant wedding plans, and Bianca gives evidence at Tony's trial.

Ian's happiness is short-lived, and Billy is given a Christmas dilemma. Meanwhile Masood finally comes clean, the Mitchells find ways to raise money, and Ricky realises that Todd could help Whitney move on.

The Mitchells are back on top, but not for long. Meanwhile Amira comes face to face with her father, Billy is chuffed to spend time with his kids, and Charlie has a terrible shock for Mo.

The Masoods' financial troubles are over, but are other troubles afoot? Meanwhile Whitney takes in Tony's sentence, Archie has a surprise for the Mitchells, and Mo goes rogue with the kids' nativity play.

In the Square gardens, Janine begins the countdown to the Christmas tree lights switch-on. Watching the event, Jane worries to Christian about Ian selling the loan of the Vic to Archie. Christian is distracted by Syed and walks away from Jane. Upstairs in the Vic, Peggy says they should never have trusted Ian. Jumping to Archie’s defence, Roxy blames Peggy for signing the divorce papers, thus, giving away her marital rights. Ronnie requests that the Mitchells do everything above board as advised by their lawyer. She points out that Archie is powerless without an ‘order of possession’. Afterwards, Ronnie and Roxy bicker about how to deal with Archie. Roxy suggests trying mediation but Ronnie is adamant that they do not bargain with him, reminding them of why they cannot trust Archie. Later, Archie arrives at the Vic. Roxy tries her method of mediation and declares the family should be together at Christmas. Archie, Ronnie and Roxy sit around a table at the Vic, trying to reach a compromise. They all agree to at least aim for a peaceful Christmas until Janine arrives, flaunting her relationship with Archie. Ronnie immediately rejects Janine as part of any family Christmas. Archie is incensed and insulted by Ronnie’s words. He tells them that he is thoroughly disappointed in his girls before storming out. To add insult to injury, Janine reveals to the Mitchell sisters that Billy knew about their plan to take over the Vic and comments on her relationship with Archie. Furious, Ronnie flies at Janine before chucking her out. Roxy finally agrees with Ronnie that it’s ‘war’. Meanwhile, Ian claims he is ill and explains to Ben that selling the loan was not personal but business. Ben asks his dad to buy the loan back from Archie and Jane agrees he should. Jane is distraught over Ian’s behaviour confiding in Christian that she is unable to understand Ian’s selfish ways. Christian empathises and unknowingly discloses that he has found someone and eventually he relents to Jane’s pressure to tell her about his relationship. Later, Jane spots Christian in the Square staring up at Syed’s window and she realises that it is Syed who Christian is in love with. Mo is having trouble controlling the children in the nativity rehearsals with Dotty appearing to cause Mo the most mischief. Mo threatens the children, stating that she knows Father Christmas and he will cancel Christmas if the children do not cooperate There is a power cut at the community centre and Father Christmas (or is it Charlie Slater?) appears at the door. Mo asks him to come back on Christmas Eve when the show is over and the children have behaved. Dotty and the others snap to attention and concentrate making the nativity a success. Pat receives a phone call and she’s heard telling the caller on the phone that although she will be needed in Albert Square over Christmas she will arrange a flight. Bradley and Stacey have arrived home and are back in love. They discuss their future and their holiday. Later, Jean tells Stacey how much she missed her. Stacey collapses…

Bradley is desperately looking for a job but is not having much luck. Stacey and Roxy catch up in the café and they reminisce about Sean and how different things were a year ago.

Peggy and Roxy are waiting at the hospital outside Ronnie’s room before going to Ronnie’s bedside. Archie is pacing in his lounge, expecting visitors. He informs Janine that when the Mitchells read the loan agreement, they will realise they must leave the Vic. Soon after, Peggy visits Archie and slaps him twice around the face. Janine overhears the conversation through the wall. Peggy is livid...

With the Mitchells nursing their bitterness in all corners of the Square, Archie finally has the Vic to himself - but one by one his enemies return with murder on their mind.

As Walford struggles to come to terms with the murder of Archie Mitchell, the suspects begin to emerge. Stacey and Bradley reach a decision, and Ricky has a surprise for Bianca.

Accusations fly as the Square hunts for someone to pin Archie's murder on. The police, too, are desperate to find the killer, and push their suspect to breaking point.

Shirley gives Phil an alibi, but a grisly discovery makes her wonder if she is covering for a murderer. And an unwelcome guest kills the mood at Syed and Amira's wedding mendhi.

Syed's heroism keeps the wedding on track, but his passion for Christian cannot be quelled, and Christian is prompted to make a dramatic revelation. Phil promises Shirley that he had nothing to do with Archie's murder, but can she believe him? And is Darren and Heather's secret about to be exposed?