HORROR heading for THIS EastEnders LEGEND as a Christmas shock twist leaves them devastated

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Dot Branning unearths a shocking discovery this Christmas...

EastEnders legendary Dot Cotton is delivered a nasty Christmas surprise this festive season when she realises someone has tried to steal her life savings.

As Christmas Day arrives, Dot is excited to have her family around her and calls them all to come and open their presents.

Dot Branning and Dotty Cotton return in EastEnders

Dot's Christmas is about to be ruined when someone tries to steal her life savings (Picture: BBC)

But as Sonia, Martin, Bex and Dotty all get into the spirit of things, Dot gets a worrying text from her bank telling her that someone has tried to steal thousands of pounds from her account.

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Dot wonders who would want to take so much money from a pensioner at Christmas, and soon the family all start to blame one another.

Dotty is convinced that Martin is the guilty one, having seen him on a downward spiral recently.

Dot receives a letter from Dr Legg

Dot Branning receives bad news this Christmas... (Picture: BBC) (Image credit: BBC / Jack Barnes)

But while there is no denying that Martin has got a new dark side, is he really so desperate that he would be driven to steal from an old lady?

The drama comes after Sonia catches Martin trying to flee Albert Square on Christmas Day morning.

Before this point Martin has opened up to his ex about the job with Tubbs that went drastically wrong, but she berates him for being so selfish and tells him she will never forgive him if he leaves his family behind.

EastEnders Dotty gets on the wrong side of Martin

Dotty knows Martin hasn't been himself recently and blames him for trying to steal Dot's cash (Picture: BBC)

So is Dotty right to point the finger of suspicion at Martin?

Could he have stolen from Dot in a bid to make a fresh start away from Walford? Or is someone else entirely after the pensioner's savings?

EastEnders’ hour-long special airs at 9.30pm on BBC One on Christmas Day

EastEnders airs Monday and Friday at 8pm and Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.

Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

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.