EastEnders Odds: Who Left Cindy Beale For Dead?

EastEnders fans were left stunned while enjoying their turkey sandwiches on Christmas Day night as Cindy Beale took a whack over the head with a shovel and a new whodunit was born. 

Soap super-fans love nothing more than a good mystery involving multiple characters and EastEnders viewers have a new one to feast over. 

After Cindy - played by Michelle Collins - was left for dead in a vicious attack on Christmas Day, show bosses have since confirmed the identity of the mystery assailant won't be revealed until the programme's 40th anniversary week in February. 

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As a result, several characters are in the mix on betting sites as the possible attacker. 

It came after Cindy's affair with Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) was sensationally exposed in the Queen Vic on Christmas Day, via daughter-in-law turned nemesis Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa).

Cindy has managed to tear the Knight and Beale families apart, so there are plenty of suspects. 

She was attempting to flee Walford when she was set upon with a shovel - but who did it? 

Did Elaine Inflict Cindy Pain? 

Cindy's affair with Junior was revealed when a recording of her admitting her infidelity was played out in the Queen Vic on Christmas Day. 

She had previously tried to blackmail Lauren to keep it quiet by giving her pain medication that saw her and son Louie almost killed in an inferno and Cindy's affair ruined her relationship with long-suffering fiance Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). 

Cindy was also left humiliated as the recording played out, which sparked a slanging match in the pub involving most of the suspects. 

Elaine Knight told her: "You are poison, Cindy. 

"Toxic from top to bottom. Someone should deal with you permanently, put you down."

Elaine admitted she was going to "join to queue" when asked by Cindy if she would be the one to put her down. 

EastEnders Odds: Who Left Cindy Beale For Dead

But Elaine has plenty of contempt for Cindy after trying, but failing, to rid Walford of her. 

She certainly has a motive to whack her nemesis around the head with a big spade and is the early 13/8 favourite on UK betting sites to be the mystery attacker. 

Father and son George and Junior Knight are also very much in the frame. 

George has lost a lot thanks to Cindy and the ex-professional boxer is certainly strong enough to have knocked Cindy into next week with a shovel. 

He is 4/1 to have committed the crime, but his son Junior, Cindy's spurned and humiliated lover, is more likely to have done the deed at 5/2. 

Cindy also verbally set upon Lauren in the Vic just before she was attacked, calling her a "messed up daughter" and an "alcoholic junkie". 

And a Merry Christmas to you, too, Cindy. 

However, Lauren, who is 3/1 to have struck Cindy with a shovel, might have wreaked enough revenge by exposing the affair. Surely Cindy's own children won't have inflicted the blow? 

Anything can happen in Soapland though and that's why Cindy's daughters Anna and Gina Knight, and her son Peter Beale are also in the frame.

Anna (5/1) doesn't have much about her, but may know who did attack her mum as she was looking outside the Queen Vic window towards the end of the episode. 

Could she have seen her sister Gina (2/1) inflict the near-deadly blow on her mum? She snuck out of the Vic just before the attacker pounced. 

However, it seems unlikely that Peter (8/1) would've gone to such lengths to whack his own mother. While they may not have dealt the blow - another of Cindy's kids could have. 

Cindy Jr's Shock Return?

One fan theory is that Cindy Williams, also known as Cindy Jr, could have made a shock return to whack her mother. 

Some fans have taken to social media to suggest the character, who was played by Sex Education actress Mimi Keene from 2013 to 2015, could be back in Albert Square. 

During EastEnders' epic "Who killed Lucy Beale?" whodunit, the culprit, Bobby Beale, didn't appear on any of the publicity photos as an official suspect - and this could be the same for Cindy Jr. 

She isn't one of the nine characters pictured in the first publicity shot for the whodunit, following the Christmas Day attack, and it's just 7/4  that she was behind it. 

On EastEnders' Boxing Day episode, Cindy's mother-in-law Kathy Cotton found her body first, so she is also a suspect.

She's also not a huge fan of Cindy to say the least, but those who come back from the dead - as both Kathy and Cindy have in EastEnders - should stick together, so it would be a shock if Kathy (6/1) was behind the shovelling. 

Attacking a woman with a spade also doesn't seem to be Ian's style, especially the love of his life Cindy. 

However, shortly beforehand, he did say to her: "What are you staying for? Who cares if you live or die? Not anymore."

Despite this, Ian was probably too busy weeping about her betrayal when the attacker pounced, and he is a 10/1 outsider. 

Keene For A Comeback? 

Following the speculation about who left Cindy for dead, it's now just 8/15 on betting apps that Mimi reprises her role as Cindy Jr as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations. 

Ross Kemp remains the 1/2 favourite to head back for February's celebrations, but Paul Bradley is no longer one of the frontrunners after he made his Albert Square comeback as Nigel Bates over the festive period. 

Others who could return include Joe Swash, after he made a surprise Walford return as Mickey Miller in December. 

Which Actors Will Return For EastEnders' 40 Anniversary Odds

He has since told OK! magazine about a possible comeback: "If they wanted me to go back in, that would be something I’d think about.

"But I’ve got a big family, so it would have to suit me and all of us, ultimately. Soaps are quite full-on and I have quite a young family at the moment."

Joe is 4/5 for another Albert Square comeback in February, but Danny Dyer is now 7/4 after recently distancing himself from a return. 

Danny has previously insisted his character Mick Carter - whose body hasn't been found after he dived into the sea in 2022 - is definitely dead, but admitted he would be up for a return as part of a scenario that could feature his alcoholic wife Linda Carter "drunk or hallucinating". 

However, he has now said he won't go back to the show after bosses rejected his idea of an exit plot that would've seen Mick take his own life, which he was keen on to raise awareness of male mental health. 

* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.