Ten months of deliberation, of heated debates, of sleepless nights and second guessing ends this week, as the EastEnder responsible for the murder of Lucy Beale is unveiled on Britain’s favourite soap.
It’s a mystery that has coaxed even the most ardent Coronation Street supporter into donning their deerstalkers in the hope of identifying the Walford staple’s assailant, with valuable office bragging rights among the prizes on offer.
If you’ve got the case cracked and lording it over your peers around the water cooler doesn’t buoy your boat, it may be of interest to hear that the bookies in black and gold, bwin.com, won’t be beaten on prices on any of the frontrunning prospective murderers of poor Lucy.
A flurry of bets have seen Billy Mitchell fly in from nowhere to claim 4/1 joint-favouritism (to take a look at the full market, click here) alongside the deceased’s younger brother Bobby, but the death data collated below may deter you from backing the left-field front runner.
As is displayed, the Mitchell clan, for all their notoriety, are far from the most prolific when it comes to claiming the lives of the Albert Square inhabitants.
That honour lies with the Butchers, with Janine terminating three single-handedly.
But with the former object of Barry Evans’ affection exiled in Paris, it’s safe to discount the biggest death dolers in Walford here.
Interestingly, after three decades of bereavement suffering, the Beales have never inflicted a mortal wound upon another EastEnder.
Having been on the roster from the off, Ian’s bunch must be due a kill or two and with young Bobby at the head of the betting, it may pay to play it safe and side with the favourite here.
As one murder saga ends, don’t dismiss the prospect of another beginning in this 30th anniversary week of EastEnders, with February the month second most likely for a corpse to turn up after December.