reached its dramatic climax tonight as (Ned Porteous) was seemingly killed after being pushed from a window at Home Farm, sparking a major new whodunnit storyline.
The shocking incident unfolded during Lydia Dingle's birthday party, which quickly turned from a celebration to chaos. Things got off to a good start with the event seeing the Dingles and the Tates come together, along with other village residents, including Billy Fletcher and Kerry Wyatt. But with Joe among the guests, the atmosphere was anything but festive.
Old grudges and hidden resentments simmered throughout the afternoon. Billy wrestled with the idea of taking revenge on Joe for his affair with Dawn, which had left Clemmie emotionally scarred. Meanwhile, Charity Dingle attempted to spike Joe's drink, echoing his own actions earlier this year when he drugged her son Noah.
Joe remained arrogantly defiant as tensions escalated, despite being the target of increasingly icy glares and barbed comments.
The turning point came with the arrival of the police, who were acting on a report filed by Noah. He had just uncovered Joe's involvement in both the limousine crash and the earlier spiking incident.
One by one, Joe's secrets came to light in front of the stunned partygoers. Matty Barton was devastated to learn Joe had indirectly caused Amy's death, while Billy was humiliated when Charity publicly revealed Joe's affair with Dawn.
As the gathering fell apart, the remaining guests were left reeling. Upstairs, Dawn confronted Joe in a raw and emotional scene. Betrayed and heartbroken, she realised the man she had thrown her marriage away for was not who she thought he was.
The episode ended with a dramatic twist as Joe's lifeless body sprawled on the ground outside Home Farm, having been pushed from an upstairs window. The show stopped short of confirming his fate, but the fall appeared fatal.
With nearly every character at the party having a motive, the mystery is set to unravel in the coming episodes. Who pushed Joe?
Viewers at home were loving the drama and rushed to X share their delight and theories. One user joked: "I'd laugh if it was Clemmie?" Another person added: "Someone really just went and shoved Joe out of the window." While someone else grumbled: "Killing off Joe was actually a waste... he was one of the only interesting characters in the show! Bringing him back just for the kidney story and killing him."