CHRISTMAS IN WALFORD: The Brannings are destroyed and lives are on the line

Things explode in catastrophic style for murderous Max and his daughters when Stacey's phone, containing Jane's voicemail messages, suddenly resurfaces. YIKES!

All Max's crimes - including the fact he was responsible for Steven's death and later threatened to bump off Jane - are in the incriminating recorded message, and with the mobile now recovered and on charge, the device is a ticking time bomb!

Meanwhile, as his life unravels, Max is hellbent on making Ian Beale pay for having him wrongfully banged up behind bars for Lucy's murder.

He pays Squeale a visit and things soon turn very violent indeed as the two men go head to head...

As their bitter warring rages on, Ian attempts to defend himself as Max threatens to kill him!

Later on and with everyone against him, Max realises his only ally is his ex Stacey. The frazzled mum is gearing up to play an angel in the Walford Nativity play, but Max lures her back to her house pretending he's left his wallet there. The ginger plotter is keen to get Stacey on side but when she realises he's lied to her, a furious Stace tells him to leave. However, Max isn't finished yet and when he goads her, telling her that she's lost her, "Slater spark", she angrily lashes out and slaps him. OUCH!

With Max out in the cold and with no-one else to turn to, Stacey later softens and tells him he and his girls can spend Christmas Day with her, Martin and the rest of the Fowler clan. But is she about to bitterly regret that decision?

With Jane's voicemail message still lurking on Stacey's phone and with the whole terrible truth about Max set to emerge at any second, he, Lauren and pregnant Abi are on borrowed time…

And as events escalate, it's not long before the turkey dinner is plunged into catastrophe and the Brannings lives are destroyed forever as the full extent of Max's ruthless deeds are exposed in all their gory detail! That smile is about to be well and truly wiped off Abi's face!

Ex con Aidan gears up for the heist of the year as he gathers together his motley group of willing criminals including Mick, Phil and Vincent and Keanu.

Mick knows all his money problems could be solved if the robbery goes to plan. However the BIG question is, WILL it go to plan? We hate to say it, but since when has any high risk caper in Walford ever worked out as expected? Er....that'll be never!

But before he gets stuck into any criminal activities with his new best mate Aidan, he's got presents to dish out in the Vic as he wriggles into his Santa suit much to the delight of the Albert Square little ones who start queueing up for their goodies...

But with his Santa duties complete, later on the cash-strapped landlord starts to have a serious wobble about the heist and begins to think he should back out. However sinister Irishman Aidan is not a man who likes to be crossed and things take a turn for the worse when Linda later makes a terrible discovery in the Vic. What "present" exactly has Aidan delivered for Mick?

With the plans for the dangerous job already laid and Aidan's anger growing, will the heist go ahead and if so could there be deadly consequences that will leave lives hanging in the balance?

Following a very rocky year - in which Linda's battled cancer, the family have lost their beloved pub and Mick has locked lips with Whitney! - the Carters decide to put the past behind them and look forward to a happier future. (Ahem….good luck with that!)

But as they gear up to renew their wedding vows will everything be hearts and flowers or is their special day about to be derailed in true Walford style?

Broke mum Karen finds a stash of stolen mobile phones and wants her son Keegan to sell them…

But things go awry and soon the bailiffs are swooping in to take all her worldly possessions.

With desperate Karen at breaking point, she decides to call on her sister Kandice for help.

Will her sis, (played by former S Club 7 singer, Hannah Spearritt) be her Christmas angel?

And could the Taylors find themselves on the receiving end of an unexpected Christmas miracle?