EastEnders star Alice Haig has warned that Joel Marshall’s misogyny storyline is set to take a “dark and upsetting” turn in upcoming scenes.

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The young teen (played by Max Murray) has been stirring up trouble ever since he set foot in Albert Square earlier this year. His behaviour, which includes committing multiple sex offences, trolling Stacey Slater online and making violent threats towards his stepmother Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig), has been cause of much concern.

Speaking to The Mirror at the Inside Soap Awards, Vicki actress Haig shared of upcoming scenes on the BBC One soap: "We've got the Joel stuff coming up very soon and it's gonna really knock the wind out of Vicki's sails."

She added: "That's what I will say. It's dark, it's upsetting, but I can't say anything else. I am really excited for what's ahead though."

Speaking about her hopes for Joel's misogyny storyline, Haig added: "I really hope there will be parents out there, and young people as well, maybe a partner of a boy who has been watching poisonous stuff online, who really find confidence from the storyline and find a way to deal with their child."

She continued: "Find a way to talk to their child as opposed to being blind to it or exploding at it. I think that is the problem, when you hear this stuff. We all feel so angry with Joel and all we want to do is explode at him, but actually that's not useful because we need to talk to them basically."

Tommy and Joel standing outside in EastEnders
Tommy and Joel's actions have far-reaching consequences. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Spoilers have revealed things are set to take a disturbing turn this week in the ongoing misogyny storyline as a concerning event unfolds involving Joel and his friend Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall).

Vicki, Ross (Alex Walkinshaw), Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) then attempt to talk to their sons about the incident, but things soon escalate, with Joel turning violent and striking Vicki.

The episodes will coincide with a documentary from the EastEnders team shining a light on Joel’s storyline.

EastEnders Investigates: The Manosphere will explore the issues raised by Joel's misogyny storyline, examining the real-life impact of the manosphere on young people across the UK.

The documentary will be fronted by Diane Parish, Max Murray and Ellie Dadd, whose characters Denise Fox, Joel Marshall and Amy Mitchel will also take a central role in the drama's storyline this week.

Read more:

EastEnders Investigates: The Manosphere will air on Thursday 9th October at 8pm on BBC Three and iPlayer.

Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.

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Authors

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.

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