EastEnders spoilers: Has Shirley Carter lost son Mick for good?

Shirley Carter and Mick Carter in EastEnders
(Image credit: BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)

EastEnders spoilers - Shirley Carter fears that Mick Carter will never forgive her, Gray Atkins makes a surprising offer and Jack Branning has something on Kheerat Panesar

Shirley Carter makes another attempt to reunite with her son Mick Carter in Thursday’s episode of EastEnders (7.30 pm, see our TV Guide for full listings).

Shirley Carter has a present for Mick in EastEnders

Shirley Carter thinks she can win round Mick Carter with a Christmas gift

Shirley Carter is still miserable about her falling out with son Mick Carter. Ever since he revisited the whole devastating saga of his time in a care home, Mick has found it impossible to forgive his mum for what she did. Determined not to give up on him, Shirley has ordered a Christmas present for him as a peace offering. But her sister Tina Carter is less than impressed, saying he doesn’t deserve anything considering how nasty he’s been towards both of them recently.

Gray Atkins spots that Shirley is feeling hurt and upset by Tina’s pronouncement and he instead encourages her to make amends with Mick. When she drops round to see Mick her attempt to offer an olive branch is thrown back in her face, literally. As Mick chucks the present back at her, Shirley is left broken-hearted. A sympathetic Gray tells Shirley that they can still enjoy Christmas together. But will Tina agree to the suggestion?

Kathy Beale in EastEnders

Kathy Beale is one of many Square residents who has an axe to grind with her son Ian Beale (Image credit: BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)

Jack Branning continues his investigation into Ian Beale’s shock attack by a mysterious intruder in the Queen Victoria. He’s been round the Square checking on all of Ian’s enemies, although there is a seemingly endless list! Paying a call to Suki Panesar and Kheerat Panesar, he tells them that he has some news. The blood found on Kheerat’s van belonged to Ian… How is Kheerat going to explain himself to Jack Branning and did he have anything to do with the attack?

EastEnders continues on BBC1 on Friday at the later time of 8.30 pm.

Rachel Lucas
Forward Planning Deputy Manager

Rachel is a soaps and TV writer for WhatToWatch.com, soaps podcaster and resident soap expert for UK TV listings magazines What's On TV and TV Times. After graduating with an art and design degree from Birmingham City University, she found her true calling in all things soap and has been writing about them for magazines and websites for over 20 years. A self-confessed soap addict, she's always had a great love of all the UK and Aussie soaps and owns everything from a Neighbours 1990 Annual to a DVD box set of classic Corrie episodes to prove it.