EastEnders star says 'dark' Joel storyline takes 'scary and upsetting' turn very soon

Scenes on EastEnders will take a "dark and upsetting" turn very soon, one star has confirmed.

The Joel Marshall misogyny storyline leads to horrifying scenes on the BBC soap in upcoming episodes, when he lashes out at his stepmother Vicki Fowler. As his vile behaviour and horrifying comments and opinions about women and young girls continue to spark uproar, things come to a head in looming scenes.

Fans have seen Joel make disgusting remarks towards female characters, as well as him trolling Stacey Slater and filming a sex tape without teen Avani Nandra-Hart's consent. He also sexually assaulted a woman on the tube.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror at the Inside Soap Awards, Vicki actress Alice Haig confirmed there was darker scenes on the way as the plot takes a huge turn. She teased "upsetting and scary" moments ahead, while not giving too much away.

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She shared: "We've got the Joel stuff coming up very soon and it's gonna really knock the wind out of Vicki's sails. That's what I will say. It's dark, it's upsetting, but I can't say anything else. I am really excited for what's ahead though."

Alice shared more about what was on the cards in a very cryptic comment, as she teased other storylines that are on the way in the lead-up to Christmas. She said: "There's so many exciting things coming up.

"There's some really scary, sad, dark things, but there is also some really funny, exciting and light things as well. There's the new premises too. It is just gonna be a brilliant autumn and winter into Christmas.

"I cannot wait, and I can't wait to watch it too. The whole place is buzzing onscreen and offscreen." Alice also shared her hopes for the controversial Joel plot, and the message she hopes reaches viewers as the storyline continues.

Alice told us: "I really hope there will be parents out there, and young people as well, maybe a partner of a boy who has been watching poisonous stuff online, who really find confidence from the storyline and find a way to deal with their child.

"Find a way to talk to their child as opposed to being blind to it or exploding at it. I think that is the problem, when you hear this stuff. We all feel so angry with Joel and all we want to do is explode at him, but actually that's not useful because we need to talk to them basically."

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , and Threads.