EastEnders fans in tears at CHILLING scene ahead of Chantelle's murder

Chantelle is unaware that things are about the get worse for her in EastEnders

Mitch has realised that things aren't as they seem with Gray...

Tonight's lead up to Chantelle Atkins' tragic death has left EastEnders fans in tears.

But while the whole episode was hard to watch there was one moment in particular that viewers found particularly hard to stomach.

Chantelle and Gray EastEnders — Chantelle was sickened to see her husband had tracked her down before she could escape (Picture: BBC)

EastEnders fans already know that Chantelle (Jessica Plummer) is set to be killed off in tomorrow night's episode (Friday 18th September - see our TV Guide for full listings) as Gray's abuse takes a sinister turn.

But somehow knowing Chantelle's fate has made this week's EastEnders episodes all the harder to watch.

More: How to watch Des online anywhere in the world

Tonight's episode saw Chantelle's hopes of escaping Gray (Toby-Alexander Smith) crushed when she discovered he'd turned up at the holiday house.

But little did she know, he'd overheard her conversation on the phone with Kheerat, and he was now in full revenge mode.

As the family settled down to watch a movie, they were completely oblivious to the turmoil that Chantelle was living in.

Mitch put on a horror classic and reminisced about how Chantelle used to cuddle up to him whenever she was scared.

Remembering how her dad once protected her, Chantelle told Mitch that she loved him, before cuddling up to him once again.

But instead of needing Mitch to protect her from the scary film, Chantelle was really looking for protection from her violent husband.

After Gray faked a house robbery thanks to Kheerat, he then used it as an excuse to go back to Walford, demanding that Chantelle and the kids go with him.

But Mitch could see that Chantelle was scared, and told her to stay with him if she wanted too.

While you could see how desperately she wanted to stay put, the glare in Gray's eyes told her that she had no choice but to go home with him.

Mitch EastEnders — Mitch could see that his daughter was scared, and fans love him for it (Picture: BBC)

But before she left, Mitch could tell that something wasn't right, and fans love him for that moment of fatherly concern...

As Chantelle said goodbye to her mum and dad for what we already know is the last time, fans were left in tears.

Tomorrow's episode is definitely going to be tough to watch, but make sure you don't miss a moment and tune in at 8.30pm on BBC1.

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.

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia.

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off.

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz!

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.