EastEnders Christmas trailer teases Janine’s return and Max’s fall

EastEnders Christmas trailer teases Janine's return and Max's fall

On Thursday morning (29 October) a new Christmas trailer dropped, confirming Janine Butcher's long-rumoured comeback.

The trailer also builds toward the New Year's Day flashforward episode.

Cindy wants Linda to see the real Max.

Sean, also returning, threatens him, and his feud with Ravi turns violent on screen.

What the EastEnders Christmas trailer confirms about Max

Jack finds out that his own brother raided Amy's trust fund for £50,000.

Separately, Kat reminds Alfie that she still wants the man who once abandoned Zoe to end up dead.

Both plots point towards Max as the New Year's Day target.

Why the Christmas death certificate matters

For two weeks, the flashforward has carried the show's mystery.

The mystery is who dies on New Year's Day, and who is responsible. For now, Linda remains loved up with Max.

However, the clip shows her stunned by a death certificate dated 29 October 2026, the same day the clip aired.

What is more, she is seen clutching a bottle again while helping her son Lee through his own drink problem.

"If you can't beat 'em, self-destruct with 'em!" she tells him.

When does the EastEnders Christmas trailer air?

The trailer was released on Thursday, 29 October 2026, ahead of festive episodes running up to the New Year's Day flashforward.

What happens in EastEnders at Christmas 2026?

Janine Butcher returns. Meanwhile, Max faces threats from Sean and a violent clash with Ravi.

A mystery gunman takes Lauren and Oscar hostage on New Year's Day, and Linda slips back into drinking while trying to help Lee.

On screen, none of it resolves yet.

The death certificate alone leaves Albert Square with a new year's worth of suspects, and Janine back in the middle of them.