Many Eastenders fans are this morning asking themselves whether Ryan is dead after a dramatic episode last night which saw Fatboy get beaten up, Whitney nearly fall for the charms of Rob again and then the final dramatic confrontation between Ryan and Rob. The program finished with both of them falling into the sea off the pier and we will only find out tonight who has survived. Rumours are emerging that one dead body will be pulled from the ocean but nobody is saying who that body will be.

There have been rumours for some time that the character of Ryan was about to be written out of the soap although this has yet to be confirmed. Elsewhere the fun and games at the Heathers reunion continued with Dorothy finding her sister, her sister finding her son and Heather stuck in the middle. On the outskirts we had Shirley looking to protect Heather from her new admirer only to finally give in and let Heather make her own decision.

The venture to Southend has been a welcome distraction from the traditional hustle and bustle of Albert Square although it will be interesting to get back to the square and see what’s happening. However, tonight episode will all be about Southend again where a number of loose ends have to be tied up, not least the future of Ryan. Is Ryan dead or is Rob dead?