AN iconic EastEnders character is set to be rushed to hospital with chest pains in upcoming scenes.
It comes a year after the iconic BBC soap character suffered a devastating heart attack.
BBCEastEnders is revisiting potential heart issues for Ian Beale[/caption]
BBCThe long-standing character suffered a devastating heart attack last year[/caption]
BBCIan returned to the soap in 2023, with Adam Woodyatt having taken a long break[/caption]
Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) debuted in 1985, during the show’s first-ever episode.
The character’s health is set to be revisited in scenes yet to be aired on screen.
Ian takes charge of the Walford’s Christmas lights switch-on, and asks Cindy (Michelle Collins) to help him prepare for the evening festivities.
However, it soon becomes clear that Ian has bitten off more than he can chew.
He suffers chest pain at No 45, forcing mum Kathy (Gillian Taylforth) to call him an ambulance.
As doctors advise Ian to take it easy, Kathy tells him that Cindy is to blame for his stress.
Later, he hides the truth of what happened from Cindy – despite Kathy’s wishes.
Ian is later alarmed at No. 41 when he finds a jewellery box in Cindy’s pocket.
What will come of this discovery?
The soap legend’s devastating heart attack last year was immediately surrounded by other bombshells.
Viewers found out that Cindy – who had just returned after being seemingly dead for two decades – had gone by the name “Rose Knight” while under witness protection.
This meant she was the long-lost mother to Anna (Molly Rainford) and Gina (Francesca Henry), who’d just moved to Square.
Over the years the likes of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street have all tried to try outdo each other with their outlandish plots in a bid to keep us tuning in each week. But here are some of the darkest that had fans in shock…
EastEnders: Tony grooming Whitney (2008-2009) – Tony King first appeared in Albert Square in 2008 as the boyfriend of Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer. But it was quickly revealed he was a paedophile who had been grooming vulnerable Whitney, Bianca’s adopted stepdaughter from a previous relationship, since she was 12. The shocking storyline attracted more than 200 complaints within a week of it beginning. Whitney waited until her 16th birthday to reveal the truth to a horrified Bianca, who called the police.
Emmerdale: Holly’s drug addiction and shock death (2010-2016) – In 2010, Holly Barton (played by Sophie Powles) became Emmerdale’s first teenage drug addict. The shocking storyline saw her taking cocaine on a night out before developing a deadly heroin habit. Parents John and Moira desperately tried to help get their daughter clean but when Holly returned in 2016, following a four-year absence, she quickly relapsed. Fans were left stunned and heartbroken when distraught Moira found Holly dead in her bed from a heroin overdose.
Hollyoaks: Luke’s rape (2000) – Actor Gary Lucy was just 17 when he took on this groundbreaking storyline, which saw his character Luke Morgan become soap’s first male rape victim. Luke had endured a long-running bullying campaign by football rival Mark Gibbs – who raped him after Luke stood up to him. Luke was left suicidal following the brutal attack, before opening up to his brother Adam. Gibbs was sentenced to eight years in prison. Gary won the Best Actor gong at the British Soap Awards in 2000 for his performance.
Coronation Street: Evil Richard Hillman (2001-2003) – Just a mere mention of ‘Richard Hillman’ is enough to send a shiver down the spines of soap fans. He is often ranked one of the most evil soap villains and it’s not hard to see why. The smooth-talking financial adviser bashed his ex-wife Patricia over the head with a shovel. In a bid to keep his mother-in-law Audrey quiet, he set fire to her house. And when Maxine caught him trying to murder Emily Bishop, he took a crowbar to her head. He made his exit from the cobbles in 2003 when he drove Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, and her family into the canal. They survived, but he didn’t.
As Cindy stormed into the bathroom, she didn’t see Ian had clutched his chest.
She thankfully realised he was having a heart attack and managed to call an ambulance.
How will Ian’s renewed health concerns play into ongoing storylines?
