EastEnders' Ian Beale is struggling in prison after being sentenced to eight months for hitting Jordan Fox with his car while over the limit. The accident left Jordan, son of Chelsea and Gray Atkins, paralysed. Initially, Chelsea wanted Ian to face a long sentence but later had a change of heart, admitting she had shouted at Jordan, causing him to run into the road. She agreed to make a statement on Ian's behalf but failed to get to court on time.
Ian blames Chelsea for his prison sentence
In tonight's episode, Ian began blaming Chelsea again for Jordan's accident. Unaware that she was trying to organise his appeal, he accused her of lying about going to court. Serial killer Gray Atkins has been feeding into Ian's hatred, telling him Chelsea is the root cause of both their problems. As one fan put it: "Gray's the one who got in Ian's ear, poisoning him against Chelsea for his own agenda."
Gray offers Ian a deal
After bonding over being separated from their children, Gray offered Ian a deal: protection from other prisoners in exchange for helping him get revenge on Chelsea. The episode ended before Ian gave his answer, but he appeared to be considering it. Fans have speculated he will accept. One wrote: "So Ian & Gray are going to team up to take down Chelsea despite Ian reassuring Chelsea at the hospital after Jordan's hospital that she isn't to blame. Why is Ian letting a serial killer like Gray get inside his head?"
Gray's history of violence
Gray's villainy is well-established. He was abusive to his wife Chantelle, accidentally killing her by pushing her onto knives in a dishwasher. He later killed Kush Kazemi and Tina Carter to cover up his crimes before being caught in 2022. His desire for revenge against Chelsea is likely to be catastrophic for her—and for Ian if he refuses.
