The Carters are thrown into crisis in EastEnders this Christmas when Linda’s drinking spirals out of control, causing her to go missing.
Linda has been hitting the bottle hard recently, causing those closest to her to worry that her drinking is getting seriously out of control.
But when it’s Christmas and you work in a pub, it seems there’s far too much temptation around for Linda over the next few weeks.
As Christmas week in EastEnders arrives Linda defends her drinking to Mick and promises to cut back on the booze in the new year.
Mick is pleased that Linda seems to making some progress at last, and throws all his energy into organising an extra special Christmas surprise for his wife… but little does he know there are some terrifying moments ahead for the family.
As Mick and Linda organise the Ball and Change winners’ meal with Max and Ruby, Linda goes all out with her festive fancy dress.
But things get off to a bad start when Ruby arrives looking glamorous and reveals she was joking about getting dressed up for the meal.
Linda fails to see the funny side and hits the bottle to forget her embarrassment, but she is soon roaring drunk and hurling harsh home truths at Ruby, leaving Mick mortified.
Later Mick’s had enough and pours Linda’s wine down the sink, but she is horrified at his actions and lashes out at her husband, not realising that little Ollie is standing there listening to the whole thing.
Linda is devastated and leaves the pub to drink alone in the Square gardens… but as she falls asleep on a park bench, little does she know her Christmas present from Mick has arrived and it’s their eldest son, Lee.
As Christmas Day arrives Linda is in a bad way and, as she hits rock bottom, everyone is in turmoil when she goes missing.
Determined to have a good Christmas, Mick paints on a smile and tries to get into the festive spirit by glossing over everyone’s concerns for Linda.
But as the stress of the day starts to take its toll, it’s all too much for Mick and he has another panic attack.
Will Mick be okay, and will anyone be able to find Linda before it’s too late?
EastEnders hour-long special airs at 9.30pm on BBC One on Christmas Day
EastEnders airs Monday and Friday at 8pm and Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
What do you think has happened to Linda? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!