The mystery of who attacked Joel Marshall (Max Murray) on EastEnders has deepened after two unexpected characters entered the fray as potential prime suspects. Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega) and Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) are now under scrutiny following a text message that hinted at a hidden secret.
Joel's Backstory and the Attack
Joel was brutally attacked last week, just 45 minutes after a group of local teens banded together to try and get rid of him. Joel's incel behaviour last year left Walford horrified; he was jailed after carrying out a horrifying attack on stepmum Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig). He also had sex with Avani and filmed it without her consent, subsequently posting the video online.
His comeback has proven traumatic for Avani and Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd), who spearheaded a plot to demonstrate how unwelcome he is. After inviting him to an end-of-term party in the park, the teens tied Joel up, filming him as they poured beer all over him. Later, Joel was found unconscious with a serious injury to the back of the head.
Police Investigation and the Video
A police investigation was launched, with DC Craig Ingram (Matthew James Bailey) on a mission to find the attacker. The teens kept quiet about the torment they inflicted on Joel prior to the attack, fearing it wouldn't bode well for them. However, Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) showed Jean (Gillian Wright) the video they filmed, and Jean felt compelled to share it with Jack (Scott Maslen), who resolved to keep the clip from the police to protect Amy, Lily, and the others.
As the teens were told to keep their distance from one another, Avani received a text message from Denzel that read: 'I think we should tell them.' This has sparked speculation about what they might reveal.
New Suspects Emerge
The text message raises the question: does this confirm that Denzel and Avani were the ones to seek revenge on Joel? Were they perhaps responsible for the attack? Or is this simply a red herring? Last week, Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman) pleaded with brother Harry (Elijah Holloway) to help him hide a hammer after the attack, suggesting he could be the culprit. But with Avani and Denzel now in the mix, that may not be the case.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or streams from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
