Pub landlord Mick is furious when he discovers his mum forged his signature while he was away...

Mick Carter breezed back into the Square recently completely oblivious to the fact his mum Shirley has raised much- needed cash for the family by selling The Vic's freehold. And she did it by forging Mick's signature. It was only a matter of time before the landlord discovered Shirley's fraudulent action, and when he does, he predictably hits the roof. But could a meeting with Fi Browning – who's now overseeing The Vic's affairs – provide Mick with a way of staying in control of his beloved Vic?

On his return to the Square, Mick wastes no time in catching up with The Vic's paperwork

On his return to the Square, Mick wastes no time in catching up with The Vic's paperwork

Greeting Shirley, he fails to pick up on the anxiety she feels having forged his signature

When Mick's gone, Whitney and Johnny urge Shirley to come clean

After Mick learns the truth, predictably he goes ballistic at his mum

Desperate to find a way to keep control of his pub, Mick meets with Fi

Has he found a way to get out of the new contract?

And will Mick regret accusing Whitney of being partly to blame for his plight? Find out by watching EastEnders from Monday 22 May

As Tina Carter prepares to bury her mother, her sister Shirley wrangles with her emotions. Can she bring herself to go to the funeral of the woman who inflicted so much misery on her life?

It's Sylvie's funeral. After her battle with dementia and a horrific death, her burial will come as a relief to the Carters, especially Tina, who has tried her best to care for her ailing mother. For Shirley, however, the day raises memories of a childhood marred by abuse. Can she find it in herself to forgive Sylvie and bury those demons along with the coffin?

Can Rev Irene Mills help Shirley deal with her painful childhood and find forgiveness for her abusive mother?

Can Rev Irene Mills help Shirley deal with her painful childhood and find forgiveness for her abusive mother?

Shirley leaves the meeting with Rev Mills with a stack of reading material, including the Holy Bible. Will it take a miracle to get Shirley to her mother's funeral...

Rev Stevens greets Tina and Sylvie's grandchildren Johnny and Whitney, who arrive to pay their last respects...

A bereaved Tina keeps her emotions in check. Will sister Shirley turn up before the funeral's over?

Tina tries not to look behind her to see if her Shirley has arrived. Will she get there before Rev Stevens gets to the committal?

What has Shirley decided to do to get Mick out of trouble?

Shirley comes up with a plan to help out Mick. With the family in the dark about what she’s about to do, Mick tries to change Shirley’s mind. What is his mum plotting?

Meanwhile, Ian heads off for his doctor’s appointment to talk about his test results. Is he about to get bad news?

Lauren puts some time aside to have some romantic time alone with Steven.

Heartbroken Whitney feels even sorrier for herself in the coming week on EastEnders, and Mick is set to get even deeper into financial trouble

As if Whitney hasn't got enough on her plate with her marriage crisis, she has more to worry about when she hears bad news about her and Lee's flat in EastEnders.

And Mick's woes about the state of The Queen Vic continue when the environmental health inspector makes a discovery, putting more pressure on him to cough up the cash.

Does this mean she'll be homeless?

Mick does his best of console her. Will he be her knight in shining armour again?

Meanwhile, the environmental health inspector drops a bombshell, meaning Mick will have to fork out even more money on The Vic

Putting the disaster of the Polish night behind them, Konrad asks Shirley out

Mick feels like his world is caving in when Bob the plumber says it'll cost him big to fix his leaks

Will things ever start to look up for Mick? Find out how he deals with the disaster on EastEnders on BBC1 from Tuesday, February 21

Aunt Babe marks the end of Christmas in EastEnders with a Twelfth Night evening at The Vic

Shakespeare at The Vic? The Old Vic, maybe, but it seems unlikely that theatre-lovers would trek to the Queen Vic to witness a scene from Twelfth Night performed by the Carters. But Aunt Babe still hopes to draw in the punters when she decides to stage a special themed night at the pub to mark the end of Christmas.

Only, not everyone wants the night to be a success in EastEnders…

When it comes to money-making ideas, Aunt Babe is your go-to woman these days

But is her novelty Twelfth Night evening a step too far?

But is her novelty Twelfth Night evening a step too far?

Despite Shirley's doubts over whether the event is being staged on the right night, locals such as Johnny give it everything they've got!

But is someone trying to wreck Babe's evening by causing mischief?

It looks like Babe and Whitney are keeping a close eye on Johnny…

Could he be the trouble-maker? And what will the locals make of the night?Watch the Shakespearean drama unfold on EastEnders from New Year's Day

Buster and Shirley have always had a volatile relationship, and the build-up to Dean's court appearance (tonight on EastEnders) saw the pair clash again over whether or not to support their wayward son.

When the outcome of the plea hearing sinks in, it seems the drama has proved all too much for Buster (Karl Howman), who decides to leave Walford.

Sensing all is not well between Buster and Shirley, Mick pays his dad a visit – accompanied by Lee – and is surprised to find him packing his bags.

As Mick and Lee beg Buster to think again, Shirley turns up.

Will she be able to convince him to stay...? Does she even want to?

...Or is this the last we'll see of Buster in Walford?

Watch his dramatic response to Shirley in EastEnders from Monday, February 8 on BBC1

It was a heart-stopping moment in EastEnders last night, when Shirley (Linda Henry) caught her son, Dean (Matt Di Angelo) trying to do to Roxy what he did to Linda (Kellie Bright).

And there’s another heart-stopping moment tonight, when Dean pleads with Shirley for help.

Now what’s Shirley going to do? Can she go on ignoring the truth about her rapist son?

“I don’t know how to help you,” Linda sobs, after Roxy (Rita Simons) has fled from the bedroom.

Shirley weeps as she's faced with the ugly truth about her son, Dean

“How about you stop patronising me!” Dean shouts at her. “How about you step up and put me first! Me! Not Mick, not Buster (Karl Howman), not Jade.”

“Jade is your daughter,” Shirley replies, shocked.

“And I am your son!” Dean wails. “I am your son so just be my mum. Please be my mum!”

“Stop it!” Shirley pleads with Dean. “Just stop it!”

But Dean can’t control himself…

Dean tells Shirley she's the one at fault

“Why was I never good enough for you?” he cries. “Why? What did I do so wrong? Why was I never good enough for you, ever?

“You’re supposed to be there, no matter what. You’re supposed to care about me no matter what.

“What is so wrong with standing by your own son? Just please, please I am begging you, make it better. Please make it better, Mum. Please!”

“Okay,” Shirley tells Dean, as she holds him close.

Dean begs Shirley for help. What will she do?

But how will Shirley do that?

How can Shirley ease Dean’s pain? Will she choose him again over Mick (Danny Dyer) and the rest of her family?

Or will she choose her family by ending Dean’s misery - permanently?

EastEnders continues on Tuesday, December 29, 7.30pm.

Evil rapist Dean finally snaps – but who will he hurt this time?

As EastEnders builds towards the Carters’ New Year’s Day wedding, secrets and lies are beginning to unravel in Albert Square.

And history looks set to repeat itself when a horrified Shirley Carter finds son Dean attacking his girlfriend, Roxy, and sets in motion a plan to stop him.

Shirley will catch Dean attacking Roxy (Kieron McCarron/BBC)

Shirley (Linda Henry) will catch son Dean (Matt Di Angelo) pinning Roxy (Rita Simons) down on the bed as he attempts to rape her when she tries to break up with him.

Viewers will watch in shock as Shirley appears to help her son escape justice by encouraging him to take a bath to wash off any incriminating evidence.

Dean has already raped his brother’s wife Linda and is now turning on Roxy (Kieron McCarron/BBC)

But the storyline will take a macabre twist as she instead tries to drown him in the bath, after realising that Mick and Linda (Kellie Bright) have been telling the truth about Dean the whole time.

The plot will be eerily familiar to fans who know Shirley tried to drown her son, Mick (Danny Dyer), when he was a child.

Mick (Danny Dyer) will battle to save his family on his wedding day (Jack Barnes/BBC)

Dean looks set to survive the attempt on his life, but his anger will no doubt play a big part in the upcoming underwater stunt that show bosses have planned for the New Year’s Day wedding.

As Mick and Linda prepare to say 'I Do', Dean will be preparing to take vengeance on his family. Will everyone make it out alive?

EastEnders on location in Ramsgate to film Mick, Shirley and Tina Carter scattering Stan's ashes

Well, that was one of EastEnders' doof-doof moments of 2015… The little girl Masood (Nitin Ganatra) photographed and showed to Shirley as their granddaughter is not related to them at all

Their grandchild, Jade - Shabnam (Rakhee Thakrar) and Dean’s daughter - is another little girl living in the same house - and she’s not at all well. She has cystic fibrosis.

Friday night’s EastEnders ended with Shirley (Linda Henry) bursting into the house and telling the man who answered the door that she was there for her granddaughter, who’s in foster care…

“Jade?” Shirley said, to the child on the sofa.

Then another girl appeared, wearing a nebuliser to help her breathe, and told Shirley: “She’s not Jade, I am.”

Shirley was prepared for an emotional meeting with the child but she got the shock of her life when the little girl appeared.

Shirley knew immediately what the nebuliser meant… She struggled with son Jimbo’s cystic fibrosis and, in the end, walked out on him and his father, Kevin Wicks (Phil Daniels).

CF Aware confirmed through Twitter that they are working with EastEnders on the cystic fibrosis storyling…

“We've been working hard with excellent @bbceastenders team on this, and grateful to them for this opportunity!” CF Aware tweeted on Friday night, after the episode aired.

Will Shirley see Jade as her way of making up for abandoning Jimbo?

Or will she walk away again…and take Dean (Matt Di Angelo) with her?

EastEnders continues on BBC1, Monday, June 15, 8.00pm.

EastEnders actress Linda Henry has been cleared of racially abusing a council warden after being asked to pick up a cigarette butt.

The actress was accused of telling a community warden “Do you know who I am, I’m Shirley”, before hurling racial abuse at her outside a Jamie Oliver restaurant.

The 55-year-old, who plays Danny Dyer’s on-screen mother, Shirley Carter, in the BBC show was found not guilty of calling the woman a “n*****” after being reprimanded for dropping a cigarette butt outside the premises.

The incident took place near Jamie’s Italian in Greenwich, south east London, on September 14.

Linda Henry at Bexley Magistrates Court (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Dressed in a black suit with white shirt, Henry dipped her head and embraced supporters after the verdict was read out.

Henry was charged under her married name, Varilis.

District Judge Nigel Dean said: “Ms Varilis is of previous good character, which means that she has enhanced credibility, in addition to which she is someone who does not have the propensity of behaving in the way that the Crown allege that she did on the occasion in September.”

Adding that there was no “corroborative evidence” to support the version of events given by the alleged victim, warden Iyabo Adetokunbo, he dismissed the charge against her.

EastEnders actress Linda Henry told a community warden 'Do you know who I am? I'm Shirley', before hurling racial abuse at her outside a Jamie Oliver restaurant, a court heard.

The 55-year-old, who plays Danny Dyer's on-screen mother, Shirley Carter, in the BBC soap, is said to have launched into the tirade after being reprimanded for dropping a cigarette butt outside the premises.

The incident allegedly took place near Jamie's Italian in Greenwich, south east London, on September 14 last year.

Thea Viney, prosecuting, told Bexley Magistrates' Court that a black female warden and her black male colleague approached Linda and her partner after seeing them smoking in Nelson Road.

She added that when the Greenwich Town Council wardens challenged the actress, who has been charged under her married name Valiris, she told them they had no 'photographic evidence'.

Ms Viney said: "(She) told her that throwing litter was a zero-tolerance offence in Greenwich Borough and the Crown say that Ms Valiris responded by saying 'do you know who I am? I'm Shirley'."

The court heard that, having previously refused to hand over any personal details, Linda now gave the warden limited information, including what the litter officer suspected to be a false postcode.

The actress is then said to have told her alleged victim: "Who do you think you are? Go away, f*** off, n*****."

Linda denies one count of using threatening or abusive words that were likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, and that the alleged offence was said to have been racially aggravated.

The actress, of Kelvington Road, south east London, appeared in court wearing a black suit and white shirt.

Supporting her in the public gallery was her former EastEnders co-star Cheryl Fergison, who played her on-screen best friend, Heather Trott, in the soap.

Linda, who has played feisty barmaid Shirley since 2006, is also known for her role as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV drama Bad Girls between 1999 and 2003.

Giving evidence, the warden, Iyabo Adetokunbo, said she approached the actress after she saw her drop a cigarette on the ground and asked for her details for a fixed penalty notice.

"She said 'Do you have photographic evidence?'" Ms Adetokunbo told the court.

"When I asked her again she said 'Do you know who I am?' I said 'I still need your details.'

"She said she's Shirley and 'Are you new?'"

After Linda provided her details, the warden suspected she had given a false address and told her that, if she had, that would be an additional offence.

Ms Adetokunbo said: "That was when she said 'f*** off, n*****'."

She added that the actress shouted the abuse "arrogantly" from about three or four metres away.

"She said it as if I'm nothing and then just walked away ... into the restaurant," she said.

The warden said she was "distraught" afterwards.

"I was upset," she told the court. "We have a job to do. I was doing my job.

"She littered. I approached her. She called me a n*****. That really, really upset me. I can't describe how I felt."

Under cross-examination from Sarah Elliot QC, defending, Ms Adetokunbo told the court that she occasionally watched EastEnders, but did not recognise Linda until she approached the actress.

She conceded that she was initially confused when the actress gave her name as 'Linda', expecting her to have said the name of her character.

"In my mind I was thinking it (the name) was different from Shirley."

Ms Elliott asked the witness: "Did you think she actually was Shirley, do you think Shirley is a real person?"

Ms Adetokunbo replied: "She said to me, do you know who I am? I'm Shirley."

After the actress allegedly abused the warden, she allegedly went back into the restaurant and later pulled "mocking" faces at the two council staff, calling them the "cigarette police", the court heard.

Ms Ellis said: "I suggest you said to her 'I know who you are and I will get you'."

The witness heatedly replied: "Why do I want to get her? To me she is an individual who committed a littering offence. That is who she is to me.

"Greenwich Council is zero-tolerance on littering - she is not above the law."

She added that she got the impression that Linda thought she could get away with dropping the cigarette butt on account of her fame.

When it was put to her that the actress, who admits dropping the litter, did not racially abuse her, Ms Adetokunbo responded: "She did."

The court also heard from the warden's colleague Edward Mendy, who claims that immediately after the alleged incident, she turned to him and said: "Did you know she racially abused me?"

He told the court that because of the seriousness of the matter, he advised her to tell the police.

Describing Ms Adetokunbo's demeanour after the alleged abuse, Mr Mendy said: "She was very, very, very upset. She was very upset - shaking."

The court was read a transcript of the star's police interview.

In it, she told the officer that, when approached by Ms Adetokunbo, she said "What?", not knowing what the warden wanted.

Linda continued: "I said 'Well, if you know who I am, go away and leave me alone'."

Asked if she had said to the woman "Do you know who I am?", Linda told the interviewing officer: "I can swear to God, I would do a lie detector, I would do anything.

"I would never, ever, ever say that to a member of the public, or anybody."

The court heard that the actress took a sharp breath when it was put to her that the allegations were she had called the warden "n*****".

"I totally ... I might take her to court. That is absolutely disgusting.

"She told me she knew who I was anyway and that she would get me," Linda told the interviewing officer.

She added that it was "really difficult" doing what she does because someone is always "out to get out you when you've done nothing wrong".

Linda firmly denied racially abusing Ms Adetokunbo and told the officer: "Absolutely not. I would swear on my children's life, deathbed even.

"(I am) absolutely shocked that somebody could make up such an awful thing. I did not racially abuse that woman - it is not in my psyche."

EastEnders is set for yet another dramatic wedding as Shirley Carter confronts Phil Mitchell and Sharon Rickman with a gun on their big day.

The couple are due to get married, but Phil (Steve McFadden) has been having an affair with old flame Shirley (Linda Henry), who will be pushed to breaking point by the time the wedding day arrives and is seen in new preview pictures brandishing a gun.

The firearm is actually the same one that Sharon (Letitia Dean) has been hiding for Phil's cousin Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack), but it finds its way into Shirley's hands as she turns up in a furious mood at the couple's home, while they're dressed in their wedding clothes.

A source told the Daily Mirror: "The gun ends up in Shirley's hands, but who fires it?"

Sharon has also been keeping secrets from her fiance - she has been stealing from him ever since she found out that he was behind the attack at her bar The Albert, which landed her in hospital.

In a preview of the episode, Phil and Sharon are shown dressed in their wedding clothes and arguing as Phil complains that Sharon has betrayed him, before she hits back: "What do you know about trust?... This is where it ends."

Will the wedding go ahead?

Click here to see the wedding photos!

Photos of the big storyline in EastEnders

Aunt Babe's drugs operation is in peril when the police descend on Albert Square following Tiff's hash cake scandal at school.

When the police arrive, Mick asks Dean to urgently dump the cannabis, but instead he hides it at Blades. A suspicious Shirley decides to do some snooping and she soon finds the drugs...

What will she do with them?

Get the scoop on this and Carol's shock discovery about Charlie Cotton in next week's EastEnders:

Danny Dyer has confessed he was just as shocked as EastEnders fans to discover Shirley Carter is actually his on-screen mother.

Viewers were left stunned when a drunken Shirley (Linda Henry) blurted out to Phil Mitchell that brother Mick Carter, played by Danny, is in fact her son. And Mick still has no idea of the truth.

But Danny, 36, told Digital Spy: "I did not see it coming at all! It was a complete shock to me.

"This is a massive revelation for the audience, but they've found out a long time before Mick will. I think it's a while off that Mick finds out."

Linda, 51, knew that Danny was going to turn out to be her on-screen son three months before he did.

He revealed: "When I found out, Linda didn't know that I'd been told, so I sent her a little text message saying, 'Hope you're having a good evening, mum!'"

EastEnders fans must now wait to see how Mick reacts when he learns the woman he thought was his sister is actually his mother.

– Press Association

Returning to EastEnders after seven years away, Matt Di Angelo reveals to Soaplife how he - and Dean - feel about being back in Albert Square. And how not everyone is happy to see him...

What brings Dean to The Queen Vic?

“He comes to have a quick pint with his granddad, under the illusion that there wouldn’t be anyone else in the family there, so Stan has obviously lied. It’s a bit stupid, but Dean is slightly naïve.”

And he comes face to face with his estranged mum, Shirley…

“That puts him on the back foot and he ignores her. If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all, he thinks. But she keeps pushing him and pushing him until he eventually says some very hurtful things.”

Like what?

“Well, everything he says is the truth, which sometimes is the most upsetting thing. And the truth is she walked out on her son Jimbo, who was very sick with cystic fibrosis. She abandoned him, and then didn’t turn up to his funeral, so that’s what Dean is angry about. But Mick punches him for upsetting Shirley… Dean doesn’t see it coming!”

Does Dean actually hate Shirley?

“I don’t think he hates her. I think he’s very angry with her and resents her a lot. I don’t think you can ever really hate your mum, but you can go through phases of disliking her. At the end of the day, though, it’s your mum. You grew inside her!”

Can they salvage their relationship?

“Well, if Shirley apologises for the things she’s done and tries to make amends, then maybe.”

How is Dean with the rest of the Carter family?

“He hasn’t known them long enough to have an opinion of them, they just seem like a normal family. Obviously he’s very fond of his granddad, but the rest of them he doesn’t really know.”

Does Dean want to be in Albert Square?

“He’s a bit of a nomad. He works as a barber and doesn’t care where he is. It’s just another place - with some familiar and some fresh faces. Dean likes plenty of eye candy to look at, so he’s quite enjoying being back.”

And are you?

“It’s great to see the old friends and faces. It was one of my very first jobs, so it was kind of like an apprenticeship last time I was here. I was 18 years old when I started - I’m 27 now so some things have changed, some haven’t. It’s strange being back, but enjoyable.”

Highlights of another dramatic week in Walford