Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) is one of the most vile creatures EastEnders has ever produced and, until recently, viewers thought they were done with him. The sinister solicitor arrived in Walford alongside his wife Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer), but beneath the 'perfect husband' veneer lay a heart as black as coal and a diseased brain capable of unbridled cruelty. He tortured her with every form of abuse a human could conceive, ultimately causing her death when her attempt to escape resulted in her tragic demise; Gray slammed her into an open washing machine and she succumbed to her wounds.
Gray's History of Manipulation and Murder
Gray, a master manipulator through and through, managed to make Chantelle's death look like an accident. Once Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White) discovered Gray's secret, her days became numbered. Though she bravely stood up to him, he responded by strangling her to death, burying her beneath Argee Bhajee and making it look as though she had fled. Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami) became his third victim when Gray began to romance Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), the object of Gray's latest obsession; Kush found himself in the path of an oncoming train.
Gray's Prison Plot with Sheila's Help
Gray later moved into a whirlwind romance with Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams), marrying her as the two excitedly prepared for the arrival of their baby. Old habits die hard, and for a man as rotten as Gray, this proved incredibly true when he began to exert coercive control over Chelsea. Joining forces with Whitney, the two ensured that Gray was arrested and sentenced to life in prison, where he remains to this day. However, it has become apparent that, even from behind bars, Gray still poses a major threat. In his stead, grandmother Sheila Atkins (Sheila Ruskin) has been moving the chess pieces for Gray. Having long attempted to financially support his and Chelsea's son, Jordan (Izaiah Hagan-Brown), his recent life-changing injuries from a hit-and-run have seen Chelsea welcome her into the life of the Fox-Truemans.
Next Week's Drama and Gray's New Scheme
Sheila, of course, is reporting everything back to Gray, who has returned to screens during his grandmother's visits. Next week sees him on the wing, where an almighty kick-off among the other prisoners leads to a brand new scheme developing for the wrong'un. With Sheila as his eyes, ears and hands in Walford, questions arise about what Gray has in store for the residents of Albert Square. As the soap continues to air on BBC One, fans are left wondering how Gray's latest plan will unfold and who might be in danger.
