EastEnders enthusiasts are speculating that the latest addition to the cast, Ross Marshall (played by Alex Walkinshaw), has a hidden connection to one of Walford's residents as he scrambles to gather funds for his son Joel in an unexpected plot twist.
Earlier this week, Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) made her return to the Square with new beau Ross and his son Joel (Max Murray) just in time for her uncle Martin's (James Bye) funeral.
The relationship between Vicki and Ross has already stirred up controversy due to its adulterous origins, with Vicki having an affair with Spencer (Christopher Parker), Alfie Moon's (Shane Richie) younger brother, and his best mate.
However, during their visit to Walford, the couple were on a mission to secure some cash to settle some debts. Vicki even tried to coax some money out of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt).
When Sharon discovered her younger sister's scheme, she rang Vicki's mum Michelle and uncovered the real reason behind Vicki's financial woes - it turns out the debts belong to Ross, not both of them, reports Plymouth Live.
On Thursday (3rd April), Sharon confronted Vicki, demanding the truth about the financial predicament Ross had landed her in and expressing her anger over being lied to once again.
Vicki confessed that Ross was still married when they got together, and his divorce ended up being quite expensive. He borrowed money from the "wrong people" and now needs to pay them back.
This revelation led to another heated argument between the sisters, with Sharon declaring that neither she nor Ian would be giving Vicki any money.
In a recent twist, Ross received an enigmatic call from Down Under, assuring the caller that the owed dosh was on its way.
Sharon found herself seeking counsel from her best mate Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), who voiced concerns about the strangers possibly harrying Vicki if Ross fails to cough up the funds.
Pondering the situation, Sharon decided to chip in with a hefty £25,000 loan, leaving Vicki and Ross over the moon.
EastEnders viewers have been furiously theorising on social media about the rationale behind Ross's urgent need for cash, convinced it ties back to his son Joel's involvement with county lines. Rumours are rife that Ross has connections with local pusher Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington).
One speculative fan on Facebook questioned: "Anyone else have a feeling Ross is lying about how much he owes?", and another responded: "I think it's a county line story. His son was groomed for drugs."
A third added their voice: "I don't think he's lying but think it could be a county lines thing as so much going on in the world with it atm", while yet another opined: "I think it's drugs."
Speculative chatter continued, as one viewer proposed: "So Ross is a fourth-generation builder—I wonder if he'll be involved in Teddy, Nicola, and Ravi's building project where Shireen is buried."
Another pieced together background information: "So from what we know about Ross and Joel: 4th generation builder, grew up near Walford, Spencer's former friend, divorced (soon to be), put himself in debt to get Joel out of trouble.
"Joel has a girlfriend in Australia, was raised in the UK by his gran, and doesn't speak to his family. Also owes money to some 'dodgy' people. Which makes me think it could be Nicola or someone else entirely and we could be meeting Ross's family/ex down the line."
EastEnders airs Monday - Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer
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