EastEnders Ian Beale’s fate in Walford ‘unveiled’ after drink-driving arrest
Some EastEnders fans will be worrying about Ian Beale's future on Albert Square after he accidentally hit four-year-old Jordan Fox with his car and was arrested for drink-driving
Ian Beale was arrested for drink driving in EastEnders (Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
EastEnders has revealed Ian Beale’s fate following a devastating car crash involving Jordan Fox.
The BBC soap’s dramatic week of special episodes, dubbed The Night That Changes Everything, launched with intense drama surrounding newly elected councillor Ian, though his character’s future has now been unveiled.
During Monday’s (June 1) EastEnders instalment, businessman Ian (portrayed by Adam Woodyatt) tried to take his intoxicated mother Kathy (Gillian Taylforth) home from Vicki Fowler’s (Alice Haig) and Ross Marshall’s (Alex Walkinshaw) wedding celebration.
In a horrific accident, he reversed into four year old Jordan, wrongly thinking he’d hit a wheelie bin. The youngster was found lying on the pavement, unconscious but breathing.
On Tuesday (June 2), it emerged that Jordan had suffered a broken spine, with doctors warning his mother, Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams), about possible brain injuries. Ian’s situation worsened when officers detained him for leaving the scene of an accident and driving under the influence, reports OK!.
Ian Beale was arrested for drink driving in EastEnders(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Only during police interviews did the devastating truth hit him that Jordan was his casualty. After learning he’d harmed Jordan, he asked for a solicitor. The councillor had only had one alcoholic beverage at the wedding, but it was sufficient to put him over the legal limit.
His breathalyser reading revealed 41 micrograms of alcohol – six micrograms beyond the legal limit of 35. Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), Jordan’s step-grandfather, was furious with Ian, berating him for abandoning Jordan rather than helping him. He condemned Ian as a “drunk driver who left him for dead”.
Ian found himself locked in a police cell, nervously awaiting updates on possible charges and the threat of jail time. Nevertheless, his destiny has already been revealed, as Ian appeared in the New Year’s Day flash-forward scene set on 1 January 2027.
Ian is shown acting as best man at Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) wedding to a mystery bride. Consequently, he’ll be released or serving merely a brief stint behind bars if prosecuted, as he’ll be free by New Year’s Day.
This marks not Ian’s first occasion of deserting a child in danger. In 2020, he discovered that 13-year-old Dennis ‘Denny’ Rickman Jr (Bleu Landau) had masterminded a cruel cyberbullying campaign that resulted in Ian’s son Bobby (Clay Milner Russell) being attacked and hospitalised.
EastEnders spoilers for next week have teased the fallout to the big episodes airing this week(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Upon realising the teenager displayed zero regret for his behaviour, Ian locked Denny in the toilet on a boat during festivities for the Queen Vic’s pub of the year victory.
While Denny remained trapped in the bathroom, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) came to blows over Sharon Watts’ (Letitia Dean) affair with Keanu. Phil accidentally knocked the boat’s captain unconscious and threw Keanu into the steering controls, causing the vessel to crash.
As the boat started to go down, party guests frantically tried to get away. Ian rushed to safety but accidentally left Denny behind, who was still stuck in the bathroom.
When he realised the lad was still stranded on board, Ian tried to save him, breaking down the bathroom door, but the rising water overwhelmed them both before they could escape. While Ian survived, heartbreakingly, Denny died.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer
