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EastEnders airs clashes and new twist in Joel Marshall return story in early BBC iPlayer release

Warning: Contains spoilers for Friday's episode of EastEnders, which airs tomorrow at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.

Max Murray as Joel Marshall in EastEnders

BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Published: Thursday, 16 July 2026 at 6:30 am

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This article includes discussion of abuse, sexual harassment and assault that some readers may find distressing.

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Joel Marshall (Max Murray) continues to cast a dark shadow over the EastEnders residents.

Just months after the teen was imprisoned for grievous bodily harm, voyeurism, and producing and distributing indecent images of a child, he has been released from a young offenders institute.

Dad Ross (Alex Walkinshaw) and his new wife Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) were stunned when he arrived on her doorstep, with his mum Cleo (Mazz Murray) in tow.

In today's episode, Cleo explained that their arrangement wasn't working and that he'd have to return to live in Walford. Vicki was stunned and burst into tears, with half-sister Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) jumping to her defence.

Cleo, wearing a brown blazer, in a scene from EastEnders

Mazz Murray as Cleo. BBC

Sharon insisted that the only thing that had changed with him was his hairstyle, and that by being back in the area, he'd only resort back to his sickening, misogynistic ways.

A sickened Vicki rushed out of the house and to the caff, when Sharon assured her that Joel wasn't her responsibility and that she didn't have to welcome him back into the family fold. Despite that, Vicki said she had to consider how Ross felt about the situation.

Cleo remained adamant that Joel wasn't welcome at her house in Cornwall, as he'd clashed with her new husband Matt and he didn't want her son around his daughter.

She also told Ross that she blamed him for turning Joel into a monster. Little did they realise, he was listening in from the hallway, and stormed out towards the park.

The other Walford teens spotted him, but before they could make an approach, Ross whisked him away.

Joel said he understood that both his parents wanted fresh starts, and Vicki arrived back home preparing to make a difficult decision. However, before she could open her mouth, Ross asserted that he chose her.

A door slammed suddenly and the couple rushed out to see Cleo driving off in the back of a taxi. They'd been left to deal with Joel.

Vicki and Ross are emotional and hug in EastEnders

Alice Haig as Vicki Fowler and Alex Walkinshaw as Ross Marshall. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

The impact of Joel's return was far-reaching. Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) found younger brother Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall) alone in the Queen Vic barrel store, deeply troubled by seeing his former best pal again.

Zoe reassured him that he wouldn't have to face the nightmare alone, and asked him if he'd like to accompany her to visit their aunty Lynne on the other side of London for a few weeks.

Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) - another of Joel's victims - was similarly upset. Just as Ross was explaining that he'd booked a room in Peacock Palace for the night, Avani lashed out, saying that he was scum and deserved to rot.

Vicki agreed. She said that although she was happy for him to stay the night to try and get his affairs in order, but he'll never step foot in her house again.

She insisted that, should he ever look at her or anyone else in a wrong way, she'd ensure he was hospitalised.

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Authors

Michael Adams wearing a white t-shirt and beige gilet against a white background

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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