EastEnders’ Linda confirms she is ready to move on as ending nears | Soaps

EastEnders spoilers follow for next week, as Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) takes another step towards a fresh start, but could her feelings for Max Branning (Jake Wood) complicate matters?

Linda Carter will declare that she’s finally ready to move on in EastEnders next week, as Kellie’s upcoming exit from the soap draws closer.

Linda has a potentially exciting new chapter ahead of her when things continue to develop between her and newcomer Clive Masters (Jason Durr).

The pair are brought together when Linda and her mum Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) find themselves facing a disaster at their bingo event.

A power cut threatens to ruin everything, but luckily Clive is on hand to step in and save the day.

His efforts certainly don’t go unnoticed by Linda, who is left flustered by his help. With sparks seemingly beginning to fly, Linda agrees to go on another date with him.

However, things aren’t quite as straightforward as Linda might like.

Elsewhere, Max Branning shares another moment with Linda during an important day for her son Ollie.

Linda is struggling to convince Ollie to attend his first day of secondary school, but Max steps in to help her coax him into going.

The situation brings Linda and Max closer again, potentially leaving viewers wondering whether there’s still unfinished business between the former lovers.

Despite their moment together, Linda later turns her attention back to Clive as she prepares for their date.

She decides she’s ready to move forward with her life, but just as she appears to have made up her mind, Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) drops some surprising information.

Kim reveals that Max played an important part in saving the community centre, leaving Linda with something new to think about.

The surprises don’t stop there, as Clive then arrives and confirms that the community centre is now secure.

Rather than simply celebrating the good news, Linda is left reeling by everything she’s discovered. Could Max’s involvement force her to reconsider exactly what and who she wants as she prepares for a new beginning?

The scenes come as Linda’s time in Albert Square is beginning to draw to a close following the news that Kellie Bright will be leaving EastEnders after 13 years in the role.

EastEnders boss Ben Wadey has promised that the soap has big plans for Linda’s final months and paid tribute to both Kellie and the character she has made her own.

‘We’ve got some returns coming up,’ Wadey revealed. ‘You may have read that Kellie Bright is very sadly leaving us after so many brilliant years in the programme.

‘I am quite close to Kellie. She is such a phenomenal actor. Linda Carter is one of the all time great EastEnders characters. So losing her is such a big moment to the show and we wanted to make sure we see Linda at her best in her final few months.’

And it seems Linda’s exit storyline is set to become even bigger, with two familiar Carter faces heading back to Walford.

Ben confirmed: ‘We will be welcoming Lee and Nancy back for a period in a story where I guarantee your jaws will drop when you see it.’

Exactly what brings Lee and Nancy Carter home is being kept under wraps for now, but their returns suggest Linda’s final chapter will be a major one.

With Clive offering the possibility of a new romance, Max back in her orbit and her children set to return, Linda certainly has plenty ahead of her before she says goodbye.

But as she declares she’s finally ready to move on next week, the big question is whether Linda’s future really lies with Clive or whether Max is about to change everything.

MORE: EastEnders’ Ravi rocked to catch Priya and Max – revenge is sure to follow

MORE: ‘Hell hath no fury!’ EastEnders’ Cindy will go ‘all the way’ in revenge against Max

MORE: EastEnders confirms who the father of Priya’s baby is – and she’s left reeling