Jo Cotton (Vicki Michelle) issued her husband Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) with a vicious blackmail threat in tonight's dramatic EastEnders (18th July).

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After Jo informed groom Rocky that their marriage wasn't actually legally over, he was thrown when an oblivious Bobby (Clay Milner Russell) told him he couldn't wait for him to be his grandad.

Blocked from talking things through with bride Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Rocky ended up marrying her anyway, and Kathy looked radiant as her son Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) walked her down the aisle.

Jo watched from nearby, with the guests wondering who she was. By the time the couple made it to The Vic for the reception, Rocky was weary as he painted on a smile, before confiding in best man Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) about Jo's bombshell.

Harvey convinced Rocky that Jo was lying to cause trouble, and Rocky felt this made sense, vowing to enjoy the rest of his special day. There were plenty of touching speeches, as Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) said she wished that Rocky really was her dad after he memorably pretended to be so a couple of years ago.

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Kathy's nephew Martin Fowler (James Bye) recounted warm childhood memories and reminded everyone of the tough life his auntie had endured. At the same time, Ben warned Rocky not to mess his mum around before offering his new stepdad a friendly handshake. Rocky gave a speech of his own, and all was well until Jo pitched up at the pub.

When Rocky confronted her privately, accusing her of making things up out of spite, Kathy walked in and warned Jo off. Jo explained that Rocky was now a bigamist facing up to seven years of jail time, but Rocky and Kathy refused to believe her.

Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Beale, Brian Conley as Rocky Cotton and Vicki Michelle as Jo Cotton for EastEnders.
Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Beale, Brian Conley as Rocky Cotton and Vicki Michelle as Jo Cotton for EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

So, Jo revealed that she had never signed the divorce papers, and added that the decree absolute that Rocky had handed over at the registry office as proof had been forged by her!

Kathy and Rocky attempted to play dumb, claiming that Rocky knew nothing about this before the wedding - until it was revealed that Jo had recorded their earlier conversation.

Jo then headed into the bar to announce the truth publicly, but a fight broke out between her and Kathy when the latter tried to stop her.

Slaps dished out, the trio fled outside, where Jo demanded a payment of $50k to keep quiet. Will Jo receive her payoff, or can Kathy and Rocky get rid of her in another way?

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EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. 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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