{"id":42332,"date":"2023-12-21T19:50:18","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T18:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1895072"},"modified":"2023-12-21T22:40:34","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T21:40:34","slug":"is-rocky-cotton-the-dead-body-in-eastenders-at-christmas-all-the-clues-and-theories","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/is-rocky-cotton-the-dead-body-in-eastenders-at-christmas-all-the-clues-and-theories\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Rocky Cotton the dead body in EastEnders at Christmas? All the clues and theories"},"content":{"rendered":"

Will he be the Christmas casualty? <\/p>

By Laura Denby\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 21 December 2023 at 18:50 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Now this would be a bleak ending but very EastEnders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s been confirmed to exit EastEnders<\/a>, and we\u2019ll miss his cheeky persona \u2013 but could Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) be the soap\u2019s Christmas Day victim?<\/p>\n

Since February, when a flashforward promised a massive whodunnit mystery<\/a>, we\u2019ve been pondering all the clues, watching for new developments week after week. And now we can\u2019t help but wonder whether Rocky is set to meet a grisly fate.<\/p>\n

While he\u2019s not the most unlikely candidate \u2013 you\u2019ll find others when you explore our other clue-sets<\/a> \u2013 Rocky wouldn\u2019t have been our first guess as the identity of the dead body. But now that the situation has shifted, let\u2019s dive into this possibility below.<\/p>

Is Rocky Cotton the dead body in EastEnders at Christmas?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Imminent exit<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Brian\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Brian Conley as Tom \u201cRocky\u201d Cotton for EastEnders.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

As we mentioned above, Rocky is due to depart Albert Square. Some viewers have speculated that this could impact the Christmas whodunnit, but even if it does in some way, we\u2019re not convinced EastEnders<\/a> will change direction purely because of this exit.<\/p>\n

If Rocky is indeed the body on The Queen Vic floor, it will be part of the plan. It was confirmed that Conley made the decision to leave the show some time ago. So not such a hasty exit, as initially rumoured. The team may have had plenty of time to factor in Rocky\u2019s shelf life.<\/p>\n

Or, perhaps the star\u2019s announcement simply plays into EastEnders\u2019 game plan, meaning Rocky was actually doomed to die all along? Whatever the truth is, Rocky\u2019s imminent farewell means he could well be leaving in a body bag\u2026<\/p>\n

Kathy\u2019s Cafe fire<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Clay\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Bobby Beale was almost killed in the cafe blaze.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Of course, Rocky\u2019s chief crime in the run-up to Christmas has been his insurance scam to pay off his debts, including to the villainous Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry).<\/p>\n

The fire saw Kathy\u2019s livelihood destroyed and almost killed her grandsons Bobby (Clay Milner Russell) and Peter Beale (Thomas Law) before Kathy herself almost faced prison time<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When the truth came out, Rocky was shunned by the Beale family and Kathy ended their marriage. However, Kathy showed mercy by not wanting the police involved.<\/p>\n

This would suggest she would not feel strong enough to kill him, as Nish became more of the target of her ire.<\/p>\n

However, will Rocky\u2019s deal with the devil come back to haunt him in an even darker fashion?<\/p>\n

Jo Cotton\u2019s return<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Vicki\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Vicki Michelle as Jo Cotton in EastEnders.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Rocky\u2019s ex-wife Jo (Vicki Michelle) has made several trips to Walford, targeting him with a blackmail plot in her last visit after falsifying their divorce documents \u2013 just as Rocky was about to marry Kathy (Gillian Taylforth).<\/p>\n

Kathy\u2019s son Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) got rid of Jo by impersonating a police officer, but Jo had already conned the couple out of \u00a350,000 by then! Also, Jo left while making a secret phone call<\/a>, promising a mystery someone that there was more to \u201ctake\u201d from Rocky.<\/p>\n

Maybe her next comeback coincides with the festive season, and a showdown ensues which leads Jo to leave Rocky for dead\u2026<\/p>\n

Kathy Cotton\u2019s ripped dress<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Gillian\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Beale in EastEnders.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Kieron McCarron\/Matt Burlem\/Amy Sharp<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The tear on Kathy\u2019s dress was noted by the writer of the flashforward episode \u2013 Daran Little. Does this mean it\u2019s significant? We can\u2019t imagine that Rocky will ever do anything to physically hurt Kathy, but he certainly could commit another blunder.<\/p>\n

Whether the latter occurs or not, if Jo\u2019s actions result in an altercation, what if a severely injured Rocky tries to cling onto his beloved Kathy, ripping her outfit as he falls to the floor and ultimately perishes?<\/p>\n

The Knight<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You\u2019ll know by now that a knight stands in the background of the Christmas murder scene. We\u2019re linking this to Rocky because of a memorable quote from Conley<\/a>, as he previously told RadioTimes.com<\/a>: \u00a0\u201cI proposed to my wife dressed as a knight in armour.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Rocky an honourable man, if not always an honest one, could he be trying to help someone \u2013 whether it\u2019s another member of The Six, or his own wife Kathy? Like our other possible \u2018knights in shining armour\u2019, might Rocky then get caught up in the chaos of an evil character, and pay with his life?<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n