EastEnders first look as Nish Panesar awakens and The Six panic

Will Nish bring the Six's story crumbling down?

Navin Chowdhry as Nish Panesar with a bandaged in a hospital gown lying in a hospital bed with Juhaim Rasul Choudhury as Davinder "Nugget" Gulati and Aaliyah James as Avani Nandra-Hart by his side in EastEnders.

BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Published: Monday, 8 January 2024 at 7:50 pm

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Tonight's (8th January 2024) episode of EastEnders saw Suki Panesar get a call from the hospital, telling her that her husband Nish has woken up, two weeks on from that Christmas Day episode.

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Of course, Denise was hugely relieved to hear that Nish had awoken, as this meant she hadn't killed him – but of course, it could also lead to other complications, and lead to the story the Six have concocted about that night unravelling.

Now, we've got our first-look at the episode in newly released images, which you can find below.

The first batch shows Nish lying in his hospital bed, with Vinny, Nugget and Avani by his side at different points.

Navin Chowdhry as Nish Panesar with a bandaged in a hospital gown lying in a hospital bed with Shiv Jalota as Vinny Panesar by his side in EastEnders.

Navin Chowdhry as Nish Panesar and Shiv Jalota as Vinny Panesar by his side in EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Another image shows a seemingly panicked Kathy sat next to an apparently distraught Denise – but what will this episode mean for the Six, and will Nish's recovery lead to the discovery of Keanu's death?

Diane Parish as Denise Fox sat next to Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Cotton in EastEnders.

Diane Parish as Denise Fox sat next to Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Cotton in EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Elsewhere in the episode, we have been told that Lauren Branning will be making an important decision, while Gina lines Jay up with a running coach, and Peter gets a request of some kind.

Read more:

The storyline of the Six has been running since February of last year, when a crucial flash-forward paved the way for the hugely dramatic Christmas episode in which Keanu was killed by Linda, in order to save Sharon from him.

Balvinder Sopal as Suki Panesar and Shiv Jalota as Vinny Panesar in EastEnders.

Balvinder Sopal as Suki Panesar and Shiv Jalota as Vinny Panesar in EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

The explosive festive episode was a hit for BBC iPlayer, bringing in 2.96 million streams. Meanwhile, EastEnders was also the top title on iPlayer for the entire festive fortnight, getting 26.28 million streams in total.

In the Boxing Day episode, the Six devised their cover-up story, claiming that it was Keanu who had hit Nish over the head with a bottle, not Denise – but how long will that story stand?

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EastEnders airs Monday to Friday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this week.

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 and Streaming Guide.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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