A devastating Christmas Day on Albert Square has ignited a bitter war between two of Walford's most iconic families, leaving the community in shock and setting the stage for a gripping new feud.
A Tragic Confrontation and a Fatal Blow
The festive period turned to tragedy for the Trueman family following the death of Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). His life was cut short after a fiery confrontation with Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) in The Vic on December 25th, 2025. The argument, which centred on their children, turned physical. Zoe pushed Anthony, causing him to hit his head. He then retaliated by smashing her head against the banister.
Both were knocked unconscious, but while Zoe later awoke, Anthony did not survive. Zoe subsequently handed herself in to the police, throwing the Slater family into turmoil as they rally to protect her.
Patrick's Desperate Search for Truth
For the Truemans, the loss is compounded by grief and regret. Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) is utterly devastated, particularly after his final conversation with his son contained hurtful words. Desperate for answers about the circumstances of Anthony's death, Patrick questions police at the scene and the station but gets nowhere.
His desperation leads him to take a final, dramatic step: he confronts Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) directly. This tense meeting threatens to escalate the already high tensions between the two households.
Twists, Theories and a Missing Villain
Kat remains convinced that Zoe is innocent and is being framed by Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman). This theory gains credence when a post-mortem reveals Anthony suffered two separate injuries. Zoe's solicitor, Richie, informs her that one of these could have been caused by Chrissie.
Despite this, Zoe fears Chrissie could twist events to frame Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) – Zoe's biological daughter. Jasmine has recently cut ties with Chrissie after realising her manipulative nature, but as Zoe knows, having Chrissie as an enemy is far worse than having her as a friend.
Meanwhile, Chrissie has vanished, frustrating Kat's attempts to track her down before Zoe's trial. Elsewhere, Jasmine decides to confide in Oscar Branning about her true identity, and he encourages her to speak to her grandfather, Patrick – a meeting that is unlikely to go smoothly.
With Patrick consumed by grief and Kat determined to prove Zoe's innocence, the foundations for a lasting and bitter rivalry between the Truemans and Slaters are firmly laid. The question now is how far this feud will go and who else will be caught in the crossfire.
