BBC/Composite: EI Share By Claire Crick Jan 29 2026 By Claire Crick Jan 29 2026 Vicki breaks Zack's heart by choosing Ross, but a fresh twist changes everything in next week Has she made the right decision? Ross Marshall Vicki Fowler Zack Hudson Share By Claire Crick Jan 29 2026 By Claire Crick Jan 29 2026 Joel’s trial came to a dramatic conclusion in today’s EastEnders (Thursday, January 29), but this is far from the end of the drama for Vicki as she faces more heartache with Zack and Ross next week. After being harassed by Joel’s lawyer as she gave evidence at Joel’s trial, Vicki was adamant that she couldn’t go back to court for a second day. Worried that the lawyer was right and that she caused Joel’s hatred for women, Vicki only changed her mind after a chat with Avani. Joel’s trial took a surprising turn after he talked with Tommy (Credit: BBC) It all kicked off in court After Vicki had calmly finished giving her evidence, standing her ground against the defence this time, Avani bravely took the stand. Determined to see Joel put behind bars, she told the court what happened when Joel filmed them having sex without her consent. She said that she believed the reason Joel put the video of them online was that he wanted a relationship, but she turned him down. Joel smirked at this, which made Avani cross. She lashed out that this was no laughing matter before racing out of the courtroom. Next, it was Joel’s turn to take the stand. At first, he continued to claim that none of this was his fault, blaming everyone but himself. However, when he tried to blame Vicki once again, Ross stepped in. Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers He told the court this had nothing to do with Vicki and that this was all on him and Joel. With the door to the courtroom slightly ajar, Vicki heard Ross defending her, and she looked relieved. Eventually, Joel had a sudden change of heart thanks to his dad and an earlier conversation with Tommy, and he changed his plea to guilty. He was told he would be sentenced at a later date for the three crimes he had committed. Later, he shared a hug with his dad before being taken back to prison, but not before he said sorry. Zack was upset when Vicki chose Ross in EastEnders (Credit: BBC) EastEnders: Vicki chose Ross Ross celebrated what he saw as a breakthrough with his son. Meanwhile, everyone back in Albert Square headed to The Vic. However, as Kathy got the champagne in, Vicki wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. She told everyone Joel had just made mistakes because he was lost. Keen to show his support, Zack made the most of Ross not being there and asked Vicki about their future. But she shut him down immediately, telling him that she loved Ross and her future was with him. As Ross arrived in the pub, Vicki raced over to him, pulling him in for a hug and promising to always be there for him. But where does this leave Zack? Ross proposes next week (Credit: BBC) The drama continues on Monday The drama is far from over, because next week’s spoilers have revealed that Ross is about to propose. Ross is determined to get his life back on track after Joel’s trial. Meanwhile, Vicki is struggling after turning down Zack. The pair of them share a charged moment, but what they don’t realise is that Mark has seen them. Later, Mark sees Ross leaving a jeweller’s and works out that he is going to propose. Thinking his sister needs a heads up, he tells Vicki about Ross’s plan, and her reaction shocks him. However, when Vicki later sees Zack take a mystery woman into his flat, her feelings confuse her. When Ross eventually gets down on one knee, Vicki can’t cope and drops a huge bombshell. But what will she tell him? What else happened in EastEnders tonight? As well as Joel pleading guilty and Vicki breaking Zack's heart, today's EastEnders also saw Ravi turning to self-harm again. Elsewhere, Bea showed her true colours, and Ian and Elaine's ongoing feud took another turn. Ravi's self-loathing continued Ravi was heartbroken over having to miss supporting Avani as she gave evidence at Joel's trial. Instead of being there for his daughter, he was forced to do a job in his police informant role. Priya was far from happy that he had gone AWOL and threw him out of the pub where they were celebrating after the trial. At home, Ravi couldn't cope with the guilt of the past few weeks and turned to self-harm once again. Not all was as it seemed with Bea Bea impressed Vinny by taking charge after two teenage girls burgled the Minute Mart. She made sure she was indispensable by cleaning up and looking after Honey. Vinny was so impressed, he offered her a month's trial at the shop. However, it was later revealed that Bea had organised for the girls to ransack the shop to make her look good. Elaine made a big decision Fed up with Ian lording it around the Square, Elaine came up with a plan. She decided that the only way to stop him from getting a seat on the council was to run for it herself. While Linda and Kathy are sick of Elaine and Ian's war, it seems this could just be the start of drama for the pair. Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns. Share Good to Know Share By Claire Crick Jan 29 2026 By Claire Crick Jan 29 2026 Previous Story Next Story
