‘EastEnders’ hints that Rocky’s big secret will be exposed this Christmas

By Alison Slade
published

‘EastEnders’ Rocky has lied to poor Sonia that he's her long-lost dad - when he's actually Dotty's scheming uncle, Tom.

EastEnders Rocky
(Image credit: BBC)

EastEnders bosses love nothing more at Christmas than to detonate a ticking time bomb. 

So, is this the season for Sonia to finally find out that her long-lost dad ‘Rocky’ ain’t her dad, after all?

Cockney charmer Rocky is, of course, Tom Cotton, and came to Walford to help niece Dotty get her inheritance from Dot that Sonia has control of. 

He never counted on having genuine paternal feelings for Sonia, and nor did he expect to fall for Kathy. He also didn’t think for a second that Dotty’s drug-addled mum Sandy would resurface. 

In the run-up to Christmas Day, Rocky has the usual agg to deal with, as Sonia and Kathy separately assume he’ll be joining them for dinner. 

EastEnders Rocky

In demand: Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) wants 'dad' Rocky to come round for Christmas dinner - but Kathy has invited him, too. (Image credit: BBC)

“Rocky always backs himself into a corner where you think, ‘Rocky, why didn’t you just say something?!’” says Brian Conley, who plays him.

“Sonia has invited him and she’s making the food, Kathy’s invited him and she’s making the food, and they’re both excited and he’s going ‘What am I gonna do now?’” 

Not wanting to offend either woman, Rocky comes up with a plan. Dotty despairs, and is seething when Rocky then snaps and makes offensive remarks about her mother. 

So, when the big day arrives and Sonia’s oven is ‘broken’ - thereby giving Rocky an excuse to suggest they pile over to Kaff’s gaff - she deliberately stuffs things up for him by insisting they ask Stuart to take a look at the 'dodgy' appliance. 

EastEnders Rocky Dotty

Fed up: Dotty (Milly Zero) despairs of her blundering Uncle.  (Image credit: BBC)

But Dotty’s fun backfires. As Stuart’s poking round, he finds the letter that Rocky wrote to Sonia last month, confessing to his scam, which he didn’t end up giving her due to his heart attack. 

Stuart then hands Sonia the note, and Rocky’s heart is in his mouth.

“He thought it had been thrown away with the junk mail,” adds Brian. 

“There’s a surge of anxiety and panic. He thinks “Oh my god, this is going to ruin everything.”

"It's like ‘Please, god, no one read it!’"  

Is it game over?

EastEnders airs Mondays at 8.05pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.35pm and Fridays at 8.30pm on BBC One - see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now. 

Alison Slade
Alison Slade
Soaps Editor

Alison Slade has over 20 years of experience as a TV journalist and has spent the vast majority of that time as Soap Editor of TV Times magazine. 

She is passionate about the ability of soaps to change the world by presenting important, issue-based stories about real people in a relatable way.

There are few soap actors that she hasn’t interviewed over the years, and her expertise in the genre means she has been called upon as a judge numerous times for The British Soap Awards and the BAFTA TV Awards.

When she is not writing about soaps, watching soaps, or interviewing people who are in soaps, she loves going to the theatre, taking a long walk or pottering about at home, obsessing over Farrow and Ball paint.