In EastEnders, Michelle Collins’ character Cindy Beale is about to launch her business with an enigmatic partner. But who is this man who has the capital and ambition to purchase Cindy’s pie and mash shop?
Cindy has been implementing her strategy to win back daughters Gina and Anna Knight (Francesca Henry and Molly Rainford) since her return to Albert Square earlier this year.
Nine years ago, after Cindy left them without warning, there was a deep-seated lack of trust between mother and daughters.
Cindy is determined to establish herself in the Square and show that she is here to stay, and what better way to achieve so than by purchasing her own company?
Money has been her biggest barrier, though, but Cindy saw an opening when she came upon a rival bidder on the pawnbrokers website.
The sly figure revealed to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) in a recent episode that she intended to enter into business with the rival bidder.
Naturally, Ian was taken aback, but Cindy reassured him that she could be trusted and disclosed that the bidder was a man who had once resided in Albert Square.
She only provided us with that information, which is unfortunate. Fortunately, we enjoy mysteries here at Metro.co.uk, so we have created a list of everyone we believe to be Cindy’s mystery buyer.
Wicks, David
David Wicks (Michael French) has been a fan favorite since it was revealed that Cindy would be starting a business with an unidentified individual.
Viewers will recall Cindy’s historic romance with David, which finally resulted in her hiring a hitman to assassinate her husband Ian.
Given the past between David and Cindy, a reunion for the beloved character would undoubtedly be dramatic watching, especially in light of the news that Cindy and Ian are currently back together.
Could Cindy have been lying a little, even though she claimed to Ian that the mystery bidder didn’t want anybody to know who he was?
Given their past interactions, is Cindy the one who is genuinely afraid Ian won’t find out who David is?
Fans would undoubtedly choose David, with many pleading for his comeback to the big screen.
Before leaving for America in 2014 following a mild heart attack, he was last spotted in Walford.
Is it time for someone who has had companies in the Square to return home?
Wicks, Simon
Younger brother Simon (Nick Berry) also developed feelings for Cindy, therefore David wasn’t the only Wicks to have an affair with her.
The relationship between Simon and Cindy was complex, with Cindy becoming irritated when she discovered that Simon was concurrently seeing the daughter of Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Donna Ludlow (Matilda Ziegler).
In an attempt to make Simon envious, she subsequently started dating Ian, but she soon had another affair with him in spite of their agreement to be married.
After this passionate evening, Cindy became pregnant with her son Steven. However, when Simon rejected her and the child, Cindy proceeded with her plan to wed Ian, pretending that the child was his.
After Ian discovered the truth about Steven’s paternity, everything went haywire, and Cindy, Simon, and Steven quickly left the Square together.
Like David, Cindy and Ian’s recently renewed romance might go disastrously wrong if they decide to go into business together with Simon.
Since the 2012 funeral of his mother Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement), Simon has not been seen in Walford. Is a return warranted?
Branning Max
Following her brief cameo earlier this year, Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) will be making a permanent comeback to EastEnders, and many viewers have been wondering if dad Max (Jake Wood) may be ready to join her.
Meeting her ex-boyfriend in person would undoubtedly be the enormous shock that Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) is expected to experience during Halloween, according to recent leaks.
Max is no stranger to business; in the past, he managed the auto lot and played a significant role in James Wilmott-Brown’s scheme to create a brand-new neighborhood in Albert Square.
Is Max going to team up with Cindy and eventually bring Lauren back to Walford with him?
When Lauren and Cindy were dating the last time, they broke up because Lauren had lied about his mother to Peter Beale (Thomas Law).
It would undoubtedly cause some agitation if Max became Cindy’s business partner!
Dean Weiss
Since his image appeared in the renowned flash forward episode back in February, fans have been speculating that Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) would be ready for a return to the BBC serial opera.
During the episode, Linda was taken aback when she saw Dean in the background of a photo of Shirley Carter (Linda Henry). She did not hesitate to convey her concern to Kathy, telling her that she feared that when Shirley arrived, she would take Dean back to Walford.
Insisting that she would have a wall of people who would gather round to defend her should he ever come, Kathy quickly reassured her.
We have been left wondering if Dean is going to return and get killed by The Six, especially since five of Linda’s pals are scheduled to accompany her at the scene of a heinous crime on Christmas Day.
Given that Gina and Anna are Linda’s step-sisters, Dean would undoubtedly be a strong contender for her shocking Halloween costume. Additionally, the impact of Cindy and Dean entering the business together would undoubtedly be significant for the family.
Cindy wouldn’t want to reveal Dean’s identify to anybody until the agreement was finalized, considering that he was driven from Walford after raping Linda and trying to rape Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons).
It may be that he fears that she will discover the true him and sever all contact.
Carter, Mick
Since becoming lost at sea on Christmas Day of last year, Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) has been assumed dead, but his corpse has never been located. In soap opera realm, we all know what it entails.
Since Cindy was believed to be dead for more than 25 years, she and Mick would undoubtedly have a lot in common and be able to tell each other a few stories in their alone time.
Linda’s astonishment would also be related to Mick’s reappearance, since it’s natural to feel scared when your husband, whom you believed to be dead, reappears.
Is Mick about to emerge from the grave unexpectedly and take over the Carter estate on Albert Square?
Foster, Graham
Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) and his father Graham (Alex McSweeney) have made a few fleeting appearances this year; they haven’t been seen since Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) paid them a visit in jail in 2005, following Little Mo’s (Kacey Ainsworth) rape.
Freddie was able to locate his biological dad after figuring out who he was. But Freddie severed all links with his cruel father after discovering the horrific truth about how he was conceived.
Still carrying some unresolved feelings, he paid Graham a farewell visit and made it plain that they would never be romantically involved.
Could Graham invest in a company on the Square knowing that his son doesn’t want to interact with him, so he could compel his son to be near him?
Given his troubled past, it would make logical that, like Dean, he wouldn’t want anybody to know who he was until the deal was finalized.
Is Cindy going to permanently reunite Graham and Freddie?
Mitchell Grant
We can’t deny that we’re always hoping for Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) to make a comeback.
After a ten-year hiatus, Grant last appeared on our screens in 2016 to bid his mother Peggy (Barbara Windsor) farewell.
Having all three of the Mitchell siblings back together would be lovely, especially with sister Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) expected to return.
Ross Kemp’s admission earlier this year that he would “never say never” to returning to EastEnders gave fans optimism that Grant may make a cameo.
Given that many beloved characters have made a comeback in the last year, Grant would fit right in.
Could Cindy and Grant be the next big business titans in Walford?