Next week in EastEnders is nothing short of a firestorm. What begins with a concerned phone call quickly spirals into emotional meltdowns, parental confrontations, hidden secrets, and a jaw-dropping outburst that shakes The Vic. Joel’s dangerous spiral takes centre stage, but he’s not the only one setting Walford alight—Callum’s heart flutters in all the wrong directions, and Elaine finds herself at a life-changing crossroads.

Here’s a deep dive into the six biggest storylines taking over Albert Square.

1. Ross receives a call that changes everything

After some much-needed advice from Vicki, Ross takes Joel and Tommy along for a shift at the timber yard. But what starts off as a harmless father-son bonding experience takes a sharp turn when Ross overhears the language being thrown around by the crew. It’s the kind of toxic banter no parent wants their teen soaking up.

Ross’s instincts are already uneasy when Joel’s mum calls out of the blue. The tone in her voice, the pause before she speaks—it’s clear something serious is coming. And what she reveals will leave Ross reeling.

2. Joel lashes out—and Kat becomes his verbal target

Ross breaks the news: Joel’s mum is getting remarried. The news doesn’t sit well. Hurt and confused, Joel’s emotions curdle into anger. When he meets up with Tommy at The Vic, he convinces him to steal booze from the barrel store. The act itself is reckless, but what follows is worse.

When the adults catch them, Joel doesn’t cower—he attacks. Not physically, but verbally, hurling a slur at Kat in a moment so venomous it leaves the entire room stunned. Ross, Kat, Alfie, and Vicki are left scrambling to make sense of the boy who just crossed a dangerous line.

3. Ross uncovers a secret on Joel’s laptop—and destroys it

Desperate to understand what’s shaping Joel’s behavior, Ross begins digging. Joel eagerly shares a video from an influencer he idolizes, and Ross initially dismisses it as silly content. But something nags at him. Later, curiosity turns to horror when he checks Joel’s laptop.

What Ross sees is never shown to viewers—but his reaction says it all. He smashes the laptop, convinced he’s shielding Joel from an online world that’s warping his sense of self. But in trying to save his son, Ross may only deepen the wedge between them.

4. Stacey and Vicki spark Joel’s fury

Things go from bad to worse when Joel is officially banned from returning to the timber yard. Ross, under pressure from Vicki and others, struggles to find a way forward. Harvey weighs in with parenting advice, but even that can’t stem the tide of chaos.

After a half-hearted apology to Kat, Joel is allowed to keep spending time with Tommy. It seems like progress—until he overhears Stacey and Vicki sharing a light-hearted chat about parenting and past relationships.

Something inside him snaps. The bitterness, the jealousy, the need for control—whatever it is, it erupts again, and Joel lashes out in another shocking display of anger. Walford’s patience with him is wearing thin, and even Tommy may be starting to question their bond.

5. Callum flirts with danger—again

Meanwhile, Callum Highway’s heart is in the wrong place again. As Johnny continues to flirt via text, Callum doesn’t exactly resist. Despite Ben’s recent call and Lexi’s need for comfort, Callum’s focus drifts back toward the temptation he never quite shook off.

Jay finds the messages and confronts him—again. But will a warning be enough this time? Callum’s feelings are clearly tangled, and the line between emotional support and romantic relapse is getting blurrier by the day.

6. Elaine gets her groove back—at The Albert

Having stepped away from The Vic, Elaine has struggled to find purpose. But an unexpected opportunity opens up when Cindy, overwhelmed and short-staffed at The Albert, accepts her help. Past rivalry gives way to newfound collaboration, and Cindy stuns Elaine with an offer: co-manage the bar.

For Elaine, it’s more than a job—it’s a chance to reclaim her sense of purpose, her identity, and maybe even her confidence. But will working alongside Cindy bring new beginnings—or fresh conflict?

The drama in EastEnders is boiling over next week. Joel’s behavior is raising red flags at every turn, Callum may be slipping back into dangerous territory, and Elaine’s stepping into a whole new world. With secrets, surprises, and emotionally raw confrontations at every corner, Walford’s about to be rocked once again.