Someone’s going to be found dead on the floor of the Queen Vic this Christmas in EastEnders – and it could be abusive Nish Panesar, admits actor Navin Chowdhry, who plays him.
Ever since February’s shocking flash-forward showed a horrified Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) discovering the dead body on Christmas Day, fans have loved coming up with theories on who it might be.
The sneak peak at the Christmas crime scene saw Linda, Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) – known by fans as The Six – standing over the mystery body.
And with controlling, violent Nish about to find out about wife Suki’s love affair with Eve Unwin (Heather Peace), could he be the victim?
‘It’s well documented how many people want Nish dead,’ says Navin.
Nish is set to find out the truth about Suki and Eve’s love affair when he sees them kissing on CCTV in the Minute Mart, which leaves him so angry that he smashes up the shop.
‘The heartbreaking, jealous rage will consume him on so many levels. He has this blind, disproportionate love for Suki that deludes him into thinking it will be reciprocated.
‘So hearing that she is involved with someone else is such a dagger to his heart.’
Could Nish’s violent reaction ultimately lead to his murder?
‘People have questioned whether he knew about Suki and Eve’s affair – but I think it’s clear he didn’t,’ says Navin.
‘He might have thought they were up to something business-related or doing something dodgy with money – but Nish is so paranoid, so jealous and possessive that the idea of Suki being with anyone else is beyond him.’
‘It’s a betrayal because it’s humiliating and degrading for him. The idea that his wife was able to hide that from him when he thought he was absolutely in control of her, her feelings and her actions, is the biggest blow.
‘His anger is off the scale – it might be the angriest we’ve seen him. We know what this man is capable of – he has killed because of jealousy before.
‘He is prepared to kill for the love of his life.’
Nish rocked up in Albert Square in 2022 after serving 20 years in prison for murdering a man who got too close to Suki.
Growing up, Navin learned about domestic violence through his mum, who ran a charity in the Bristol area for 25 years to help victims of it.
‘Unfortunately we live in a world where domestic violence happens and that should never be shied away from.
‘I’m now playing a character that my mum spent her life’s work saving people from. You need to create characters like Nish to show how hateful and destructive this behavour is.’
So will Nish be killed off at Christmas?
‘He’s been pretty much the number one suspect for a long time. All I can say is he will be featured on screen on Christmas Day to ruin your Christmas dinners.’
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