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When Phil angrily accused Karen of orchestrating young Albie's fake kidnapping and keeping the money Phil put forward for his rescue, Karen earned herself a slap from the little boy's mother, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).

Unaware that Albie is not actually her grandson, Karen took the fall and allowed guilty son Keanu (Danny Walters) to feign shock at the situation as she fled The Vic.

Keanu managed to tentatively convince a raging Phil that he had no knowledge of the despicable plot, before Phil broke down the door of the Taylors' flat and shouted Karen down in demand of his money.

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Karen armed herself with a bat, and Keanu convinced Phil that he would ensure his mum paid him back.

Steve McFadden yelling as Phil Mitchell at Lorraine Stanley as Karen Taylor, with Roger Griffiths as Mitch Baker and Clair Norris as Bernadette Taylor in the Queen Vic in EastEnders. — Phil raged at Karen, who took the full blame for the kidnapping scam. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Once Phil left, a furious Mitch Baker (Roger Griffiths) ordered Keanu away for burdening Karen with the blame for his own actions. Felix Baker (Matthew Morrison), still glammed up as drag alter ego Tara Misu, showed the family that he had stashed the cash in the oven after catching Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall) spying.

At Sharon's, Keanu begged her not to report Karen to the police for the time being, and while a sickened Sharon went upstairs to see to Albie, Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) arrived to express her disgust with her big brother for putting Sharon through hell and leaving them all panic-stricken over the 'missing' Albie.

Keanu promised to look after Bernie and their loved ones, but she rejected his futile attempts to talk her round.

Meanwhile, Karen explained to Mitch that after losing their daughter Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer), she couldn't risk Keanu's future, vowing to "carry the can" for him.

But when Keanu returned to get the money back, Karen fobbed him off and told him to leave, as she couldn't bear to look at him.

Danny Walters as Keanu Taylor leaning over a toilet sink with Steve McFadden as Phil Mitchell in the background for EastEnders. — Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters, left) told a big lie to Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden, right). BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

In a heart to heart with Mitch, Karen spoke of how much she loved having a big family, and her wish to do right by everyone, including Keanu.

Mitch confided that he knew he had let Karen down when Chantelle was first born, and it was clear the pair still held strong feelings of love for one another as they shared a tender moment.

As Karen felt that all the fight had gone from her body, she took a moment alone, eventually admitting that she wanted to take Phil's money and run before either he got to her or Sharon got the police involved. Will she go through with it?

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EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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