It’s the end of an era in EastEnders – Bea Pollard’s (Ronni Ancona) reign of terror is over, while also opening a new chapter in her story.
The character arrived in January and struck up a friendship with matriarch Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) at Linda Carter’s (Kellie Bright) school reunion. She heard that the Mitchells were heading on holiday, and invited her to housesit while her family were away.
During their absence, she began to worry about money and applied for a credit card in Honey’s name. Bea was initially reluctant to spend any of the cash, though was swayed when she heard how much her new mate was struggling with the menopause.
After booking Honey into a flashy clinic on Harley Street, she hoped that the gesture would allow the family to install her as their permanent lodger. Honey had no idea where the sudden cashflow had come from.
She also trashed the McKlunkys takeaway, allowing Will (Freddie Phillips) to believe that she’d been attacked at work.
After a whirlwind relationship with Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), her devious ways were exposed. He discovered that Bea had used the credit card to buy him support in his council campaign, and divulged this information to Honey.
Surprisingly, Honey forgave her actions – believing that her actions came from a place of goodwill. Billy wasn’t pleased, and when Bea realised that he was attempting to drive a wedge in her friendship with Honey, she devised a plan to bring him down.
She set up a fake dating profile in his name, and also used artificial intelligence to imply that he was trying to lure her into bed. Billy was determined to prove his innocence, which spiralled into Bea faking her own death and framing him.
Honey staged a fake vigil to lure her out of the shadows, but things turned sour when Bea knocked her unconscious and held her hostage in a countryside cottage. Fortunately, Honey managed to escape, but the ordeal wasn’t over.
Back in Walford, Bea grabbed Billy by the neck, and Honey leapt into action to protect him. The police were hot on Bea’s heels, and whisked her off in the conclusion of yesterday’s episode.
Today, Billy wondered whether life would ever be the same again. He said that the locals were watching him while he nipped to the shop, and despite the fact he was proved innocent, there would always be questions raised about what really happened.
He later accompanied Honey to a GP appointment regarding her menopause, and the couple were able to put Bea’s Harley Street appointment to good use. The doctor was hesitant to prescribe HRT, but eventually agreed after reading what the private consultant had advised.
Perhaps there was some good to come from Bea after all!
Later, Linda was given chance to speak to Bea in the police station. She showed no remorse for her actions, leaving her old school friend in disbelief.
When her legal representative arrived, Bea took great delight in the fact her name was “Mrs Bumble” – a moniker made perfectly to match her own. With a smile filling her face, she said that they were going to be great friends.
Has Bea found her next victim?
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