EastEnders’ Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) is stunned when Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) drops a bombshell about her best friend Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) next week.

Sharon is currently away from Walford, spending time with granddaughter Alyssa Lennox and her mum Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith).

Prior to her departure, exes Phil and Sharon shared a romantic reunion, but it was extremely short-lived as a guilty Sharon confessed to him she’d recently slept with his brother Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp).

Back in February, the former husband and wife took a trip back to the 1990s and hooked up, just as Phil was spending time in a mental health facility following a devastating suicide attempt.

Upon learning the truth, Phil ordered Sharon out of his house and insisted a reunion was off the table.

Despite being close to both Sharon and Phil, Linda has been in the dark about recent events between them and in scenes to air next week, the Queen Vic landlady is confused when he is reluctant to call Sharon.

She is then shocked when Phil reveals all about Sharon and Grant sleeping together.

However, Linda soon snaps into peacemaker mode and tries to persuade Phil to reach out to Sharon.

Given what a source of support Linda has been to Phil during his mental health crisis, will he heed his friend’s advice? And could it be the first step to a proper reunion between Sharon and Phil?

The couple split back in 2019 after Phil learned of her affair with Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters).

As Sharon continued to have an on-off relationship with Keanu before his death in 2023, Phil also found love with Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), who he went on to marry.

However, they split last year after Kat learned he had cheated on her with Lola Pearce’s (Danielle Harold) estranged mum Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit).