Callum is proving a better detective than Jack.
Callum Highway (Tony Clay) issued Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) with an ultimatum in tonight’s EastEnders (Wednesday 22nd March), after finding Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) brazenly enjoying an evening at Jack’s home.
Jack and newly promoted detective Callum have been trailing Ravi for weeks, knowing that he is part of a big criminal operation. But little does Jack know that his wife, Denise Fox (Diane Parish), almost embarked on an affair with Ravi, who is now blackmailing her for police intel after she revealed he was under investigation!
When Denise refused to comply, Ravi set his sights back onto her daughter Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams), pursuing her as a way to get closer to the information he needed. Callum is currently secretly aware that Denise has been involved with Ravi, having warned her to steer clear.
Still with us so far? It’s a complicated story, which is saying something for a soap!
Tonight, Denise found that Jack had been up working all night, and at the station, Callum updated him as he commented that Ravi had suddenly become less active in his dodgy dealings. Jack was snappy with Callum as he gave him his next task, while back in Albert Square, Ravi and Chelsea flirted up a storm via text.
Denise invited Chelsea to a games night and conceded that she could bring a guest, so Chelsea turned up with Ravi, much to Jack’s shock. When Denise clocked the man she had shared a few passionate kisses with, she too was horrified – but there was little choice but to begrudgingly let Ravi in as the evening began.
Ravi made several attempts to touch Denise against her will, and she repeatedly flinched. In the kitchen, he came up behind her and held her shoulders, before taunting her about sleeping with Chelsea later. Denise branded Ravi disgusting and insisted she would not be blackmailed when he tried his luck again, before telling Chelsea that Ravi had previously blackmailed a married woman…
Meanwhile, Jack had his own crisis brewing. Callum knocked on the door on his way home from work, wanting to fill Jack in on the latest goings-on. At that moment, Ravi smirked as he walked past, and Callum was gobsmacked that his boss was now socialising with their only lead in the investigation.
He told Jack that he would have to tell their DCI what was going on, and Jack warned Callum to back off. But later, as the family arrived at the Vic for drinks, Jack approached Callum and assured him that he would not be letting Ravi in his home again.
Callum replied that he still needed to tell the DCI, and correctly remarked that Ravi’s new romance with Chelsea, coupled with the fact that Ravi has gone to ground, surely hinted that he was onto them. Jack urged Callum to give him 24 hours to sort the situation, and Callum agreed. As Jack vows to bring Ravi down, will he make the right choices?
Read more:
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 or Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.