EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell steps up to play Linda Carter’s knight in shining armour next week, helping her behind the bar when The Vic descends into complete chaos.
Conscious of the warning signs, Phil raises his concerns that Linda is overworked and managing the bar alone – so he rolls up his sleeves and gets stuck in. With her addiction problems fragile, is Phil right to be worried about Linda’s mental state?
"The last thing Phil wants is Linda to relapse," says our Walford insider. "He’s started to notice she’s overwhelmed and struggling, and he offers to take the weight off her shoulders."
With Elaine’s marital woes causing friction in the Vic, Linda steps up to do the lion’s share of the work.
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However, her long shifts don’t go unnoticed by her biggest support in the Square, Phil. Realising Linda is having to do most of the work, he’s concerned for her mental health.
As the drinks start flowing at Elaine’s party and the girls gather round, the night gets rowdy and raucous as the landlady exclaims that the prosecco is on the house all night. However, when Phil and Nigel pop in for a pint, Linda’s struggle doesn’t go unnoticed.
"Linda’s relief is palpable when Phil offers to help," explains our source. "Straight away he can spot that it’s all too much for her – running the bar and dealing with her messy mother."
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With the party in full swing, tipsy Elaine offers to book Priya a singles cruise using the business account – assuring her she can pay it back later. But when Linda overhears this transaction, she’s horrified to see five grand leave the account.
The next morning, Elaine wakes up with a brutal hangover and still won’t take Linda’s concerns seriously. Trying to intervene, Phil takes Elaine aside and berates her for treating Linda so badly – but is she in the right frame of mind to take any notice?
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"Elaine checks in with Linda after Phil’s lecture," our insider continues. "But Linda doesn’t want to be a burden to her heartbroken mum, so she downplays her feelings. Will Elaine realise she’s not telling the truth?"
With both mother and daughter struggling, will they open up about their real feelings? Or will Linda battle on alone and risk relapsing?
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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