6 EastEnders spoilers for next week: Max exposes Sharon and Denise disappears after Lucas showdown

Here are all your EastEnders spoilers for 1st - 5th February 2021.

Max exposes Sharon

The manhunt for missing Ian gathers pace as Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) and Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell) distribute flyers, and Max is on a mission to crack Sharon and force her to admit she tried to have her husband killed. Canny Shaz accuses Max of wanting to prove absent (actually dead, though her family don't know it) Tina's innocence purely to get back into the good books (among other things) of ex-lover Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), but she knows the heat is on.

With nothing more to lose, Max publicly accuses Sharon in the Vic of organising Ian's attack and letting Teen take the blame. Already suspicious of her daughter-in-law, Kathy is floored, while Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) urges L to get the truth from Max. Will anyone believe him? Or will Sharon have to crush up more pills to silence Mr Branning?

Denise and Lucas disappear

Denise is dumbfounded when she learns Chelsea is taking Lucas on holiday and reckons her killer ex has brainwashed their daughter to let him back into her life. If only she - and he - knew the truth: Chels is pretending to have forgiven and forgotten, and the trip is far from a father/daughter bonding jolly, it's part of her long game revenge to set him up for something.

Lucas backs out of the break and Dee lets rip, berating him for letting Chelsea down again. A furious showdown ensues and the next thing we know, Chelsea and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) are looking for Denise and find Lucas's flat trashed and empty - there's blood, but no sign of Denise, or Lucas… Has Chelsea's risky plan cost her mother's life?

Billy turns drug dealer

Billy has gone past the sobbing, listening to sad songs phase of being rejected by Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton), and moved onto the bitter, twisted stage. This week he spitefully tells the kids mummy and daddy aren't getting back together, because mummy is having it away with Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) who is practically their brother.

Horrified Honey chucks him out, and skint, jobless Billy must find a way of supporting his family. Humiliated when Jay buys Will and Janet flashy new trainers when he can barely afford a bag of crisps for them to share, Bill looks for employment - and offers to deal drugs for Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota)…

Gray manipulates Whitney

Having scared her off with talk of potential romance, creepy Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) tries a different tactic to ensnare Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) this week - good old-fashioned psychological manipulation.

Cancelling her babysitting arrangement, then having mother-in-law Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) step in, Gray makes Whitney think she's done something wrong, then twists the situation to make Ms Dean feel guilty. As he continues to lie to the Carters, Gray is in danger of losing his cool. And when that happens, an unsuspecting, innocent young woman usually ends up dead. Pray for Whitney.

Elsewhere on EastEnders

• Trying to get pregnant for real proves tricky for Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton), as her attempts to seduce husband Martin Fowler (James Bye) aren't exactly met with the reaction she was hoping on - or needs. Preferring to spend the night with your games console doesn't do much for her self-esteem, but she'll have bigger problems as the weeks roll on and she's not actually up the duff. What's a girl to do?
• Ruby also occupies herself dishing out advice to Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero). These two actually have a lot in common: deceased bad boy dads, a penchant for deceit - spooky. It's also Dotty's birthday this week, and she's very pleased with the present she receives from Vinny. The pair share a moment, but what happened to her fancying Peter Beale (Dayle Hudson)? One of Walford's unsolved mysteries…
• Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.