5 EastEnders Spoilers Next Week | 26–29 January 2026 | Big Returns, Trial Twist & Walford Fallout

From Monday 26th to Thursday 29th January 2026, EastEnders unleashes a week of drama that feels heavy, personal, and quietly explosive. Five major storylines collide, each one tugging at old wounds, buried secrets, and fragile loyalties. A familiar Fowler face returns with more than just good intentions. A legal moment threatens to swing an entire case in a new direction. One desperate escape plan is brutally shut down. Elaine Peacock’s world is rocked by devastating news that sparks a bitter feud. And Ravi’s struggle with guilt finally boils over, with consequences that could haunt him long after the week is done.

This is Walford at its most unforgiving—where family ties are tested, promises are broken, and the fallout doesn’t end when the credits roll. Let’s break down the five biggest spoilers coming your way next week.

Spoiler #1: Mark Fowler Jr. Comes Home… But Not Clean
The week opens with a moment that instantly changes the atmosphere of Albert Square. Mark Fowler Jr. is back in Walford, and his arrival lands like a punch to the gut. It’s sudden, unexpected, and loaded with tension. Vicki is torn between relief and suspicion, unsure whether she should throw her arms around her brother or demand answers. Phil is visibly shaken, while Sam clocks straight away that something doesn’t add up.

On the surface, Mark insists he’s returned for one reason only: family. With Joel’s trial looming, he claims he wants to support Vicki and be there when she needs him most. It sounds right. It looks right. A Fowler showing up when things are falling apart is hardly unusual. But there’s an unease about Mark that’s impossible to ignore. He dodges certain questions, changes the subject too quickly, and seems more on edge than someone who’s simply come home to help.

The truth begins to creep out during a private conversation away from Vicki’s earshot. Mark finally drops the façade and confides in Phil. He doesn’t just want advice—he wants protection. The kind of help you only ask for when you’re already in deep trouble. But Phil, distracted by his own schemes and priorities, barely registers the warning signs. He hears Mark, but he doesn’t listen.

That’s when Mark panics. Desperate to keep Phil close and invested, he makes a reckless decision. He blurts out a secret in completely the wrong place, dragging an unsuspecting third party into Phil’s world without consent. It’s a gamble that could buy Mark time—or expose everything he’s trying so hard to hide. Either way, it threatens to stir up old loyalties and long-buried grudges, and once those are disturbed in Walford, there’s no easy way back.

Spoiler #2: Max Branning Slams the Door on an Escape
When Max Branning gets involved, things rarely stay calm for long—and next week is no exception. Jasmine is in full survival mode. She’s not planning a holiday or a fresh start; she’s plotting a clean break. Lies stack up quickly as she cuts corners, manipulates situations, and says whatever she has to in order to stay one step ahead of suspicion.

Max notices. Worse still, he realises Jasmine is planning to vanish without dealing with the damage she’s already caused. That’s where his patience ends. Their confrontation starts quietly, almost civil, but it doesn’t stay that way. Max’s tone turns icy as he makes one thing very clear: if Jasmine runs, she won’t escape the consequences. And he’s not bluffing.

What really shakes Jasmine is how much Max knows. He uses information he shouldn’t have—details that strip her of control and leave her trapped. Suddenly, her future no longer feels like her own.

Things spiral further thanks to Oscar, whose careless comment in the wrong place at the wrong time exposes the escape plan. Kat gets wind of it and is stunned. When it’s implied that Kat herself may have pushed Jasmine too far, the situation turns toxic fast. Max admits to Oscar that he stepped in, expecting gratitude. Instead, he’s met with fury.

By the end of the week, Kat isn’t interested in half-truths or deflections. She wants the full story, and viewers know that once Kat sets her sights on the truth, she doesn’t back down. Another secret threatens to tear yet another family apart—and Walford has seen this pattern before.

Spoiler #3: Elaine Peacock Receives a Shattering Blow
Elaine Peacock starts the week expecting one conversation and ends it facing a reality she never saw coming. She meets George with cautious optimism, perhaps even hope. There’s a sense that something unresolved between them might finally be addressed.

Instead, Elaine is blindsided. George tells her he’s expecting a child—with Nicola.

The moment hits in stages. First comes the embarrassment, then the heartbreak, and finally the anger. Elaine realises she’s completely misread the situation, and the humiliation cuts deep. True to form, she doesn’t retreat quietly. She lashes out.

Ian Beale happens to be nearby and becomes the unfortunate target of Elaine’s fury. Sharp words fly—words that feel satisfying in the moment but linger painfully afterward. Elaine’s pride has always been both her armour and her downfall, and this revelation slices straight through it.

She barely has time to process the news before things escalate further. Once Ian is involved, nothing stays private for long. Personal pain quickly turns into public conflict, and Elaine finds herself standing at the edge of something far bigger than a broken heart.

Spoiler #4: Elaine vs Ian Becomes a Public War
If anyone thought Elaine and Ian’s clash would simmer down, they’re in for a shock. It doesn’t fade—it detonates.

Elaine wakes up to find herself splashed across the local paper in a story that’s neither flattering nor fair. She knows instantly who leaked it. Furious and humiliated, she hits back hard. Schemes are drawn up, and counter-moves follow just as quickly.

Cathy is dragged into the middle, desperately trying to calm two people who have absolutely no interest in peace. Elaine even attempts an apology at one point—a rare glimpse of vulnerability—but it’s rejected outright.

Then Ian reveals his next move: he’s running for a council seat. And if he wins, Elaine’s business is firmly in his sights.

That’s the final straw. Elaine refuses to be intimidated. If Ian is going public, so is she. She decides to run against him, turning a personal vendetta into an all-out battle for power, reputation, and survival on the Square.

Long-time viewers will recognise the echoes of past rivalries here—those explosive clashes that start small and end in lasting damage. This one feels no different, and it’s only just beginning.

Spoiler #5: Ravi Breaks His Promise—and It Costs Him
Ravi’s storyline next week is quieter on the surface, but emotionally devastating. He’s still weighed down by guilt over what happened with Nugget, and it’s eating away at him. Determined to make things right, Ravi throws himself into fixing what he can—money, distractions, a day out, anything to lift the mood.

A YouTube thumbnail with maxres quality

For a brief moment, it works. Nugget starts to feel like himself again and even agrees to return to sixth form. Ravi allows himself to breathe.

Then Avani asks for something simple and deeply important: she wants her dad by her side in court. Ravi promises he’ll be there.

But life intervenes. Jack leans on him, old habits resurface, and one bad decision leads to another. Ravi is delayed—and then he doesn’t show up at all.

Priya’s reaction isn’t explosive. It’s controlled, measured, and far more devastating. Ravi knows instantly that he’s failed his daughter when she needed him most. There are no excuses, no shouting—just the crushing realisation that he keeps choosing wrong.

The guilt floods back stronger than ever, and this time it feels dangerous. Left unchecked, it could push Ravi down a darker path, with consequences that may reshape his future in Walford.

A Week That Leaves Its Mark
So that’s EastEnders from Monday 26th to Thursday 29th January 2026. A Fowler return wrapped in lies. A Branning tightening his grip. Elaine fighting heartbreak with fire. A feud turning public and political. And Ravi standing face to face with his own failures.

Next week leans hard into family consequences, broken trust, and old wounds that refuse to heal. These are the kinds of stories that don’t fade when the episode ends—they linger, asking uncomfortable questions long after the credits roll.

Which storyline are you most worried about? And who do you think will suffer the biggest fallout? Walford is bracing itself—and viewers sho