EastEnders' Ian Beale is set to be left for dead in a dramatic plot.
Adam Woodyatt
The cocky councillor - who is played by Adam Woodyatt - has racked up a number of enemies over the last 12 months, but a mystery character will reach boiling point with the restaurant owner in scenes which could air as early as next month, leaving viewers "shocked".
A show source said: "As far as legendary 'EastEnders' characters go, Ian is up there with the best so this storyline will leave viewers shocked.
"He has no shortage of enemies so exactly who attacked him and left him for dead will be the focus of the weeks that follow."
Ian has riled up his own mum Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylford) in recent months after remortgaging her cafe and then having the cheek to ask her to make the first repayment because he is too strapped for cash.
The chippy chief also owes thousands to Max Branning (Jake Wood), who could well be prime candidate as he has a past with Ian after trying to strangle him with fairy lights in 2017.
What's more, Ian has an on-going feud with Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero) because she is aware he was responsible for poor Denny Rickman's (Bleu Landau) death in February.
Out of guilt, Ian used Max's money to buy the Queen Vic for Denny's mum Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), much to the fury of Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), who was in talks to purchase the pub. Ian could also incur Phil's wrath if he finds out it was Ian who grassed to the police about his and Kat Slater's (Jessie Wallace) dodgy classic cars job earlier this week.
The source added to The Sun newspaper: "People are queuing up to cave Ian’s head in.
"He borrowed money from Max and hasn’t paid him back. Kathy knows Ian remortgaged the café without telling her, plus he’s upset his sons in money rows.
"Dotty knows what happened to Denny on the boat so may have an axe to grind. Even Phil Mitchell could be involved. He’s never far from trouble."
The coming scenes won't be Ian's only close call with death though.
In October 1996, his estranged wife Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) hired hitman John Valecue (Steve Weston) to do him over.
She later changed her mind, but it was too late.
Ian was still shot, but he survived after the bullet only wounded him.
Tagged in Adam Woodyatt Steve McFadden Jake Wood