Ever since she was raped by Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) back in October, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) has kept her ordeal a secret from her doting partner Mick (Danny Dyer).
But, in the run-up to 2014's festive episodes, Dean's girlfriend Stacey (Lacey Turner) will discover the truth, setting the stage for a showdown at the Queen Vic.
EASTENDERS SPOILERS: LINDA CARTER ROCKED BY SHOCK PREGNANCY AFTER RAPE
In a new interview with Inside Soap, Danny Dyer explained: "I knew that was when Mick would find out about Dean and Linda.
"It's a lot to take on board, but the way Mick reacts is so believable and well-written.
"I think any human being would react in the same way."
So will Dean go to prison?
Quite possibly, as actor Matt Di Angelo has told Fabulous magazine that if his character has to be “sacrificed” in order to highlight this most emotive of issues, then “so be it.”
He said: “It’s an important storyline. It’s helping real people.
“I worked with the probation service closely to see how these accused guys act and how it would play out.
“I can’t go into too much detail, but we’ve had reports from the probation service saying that this storyline has actually helped people. It’s unbelievable.
“If we have to sacrifice Dean as a much-loved character for that to happen, then so be it.”
**WHY EASTENDERS ABSOLUTELY HAD TO COVER LINDA CARTER'S RAPE STORYLINE*[
](https://closeronline.co.uk/entertainment/soaps/eastenders-absolutely-cover-linda-carter-s-rape-storyline/#.VC6fK6h39vI "Read also: Why EastEnders absolutely have to cover Linda Carter's rape storyline")***
While we - and we imagine many other fans - would hate to see Matt leave EastEnders again, we definitely agree with his comments.
And, with his horrifying crime soon to be exposed, we can't really see any other way for the soap's writers to handle the situation.