EastEnders’ Lee Carter will contemplate throwing himself off the Queen Victoria pub this Christmas after his debts begin to mount and he starts to cave from the guilt.
The insurance sales assistant – portrayed by Danny-Boy Hatchard – has been lying for months about his job and his income but, after he arranges for his manipulative colleagues to fake a robbery at his family’s boozer to help him pay for his bills, Lee sinks into deeper depression and considers ending his life once and for all.
A soap source explained: "It’s pretty clear that Lee is at the end of his tether."
As the interest on his payday loans start to grow, Lee struggles to face his wife Whitney (Shona McGarty) but, oblivious to their financial mess, the barmaid is convinced her husband’s sadness is down to him regretting getting hitched to her last month.
An insider said: "These two should be looking forward to a wonderful first Christmas as a married couple, but instead they are miserable as sin. Whitney can’t understand why Lee is so unhappy, and she’s worried he regrets getting married. She’s doing everything to make this a perfect family festive season but nothing seems to help Lee."
When Lee’s father Mick (Danny Dyer) finds his severely depressed son sitting on top of his friendly boozer, panic spreads through his bones and he rushes to comfort him.
The source told Inside Soap magazine: "Mick’s terrified for him. They’ve been here before with Lee, and they know just how dark his depression can get. The trouble is that if the lad won’t open up about what’s really going on, nobody can help him. But given how many lies Lee has told, it’ll take a lot to confess everything now."
EastEnders to have Christmas death
