Dean Wicks’ murder trial took a shocking turn in scenes aired this Tuesday as Linda Carter took to the stand, when the villain made a jaw-dropping confession in the courtroom.

Prison awaits Dean Wicks, but he won’t be going down for murder as he made an explosive confession in the midst of his trial in EastEnders.

The treacherous character portrayed by Matt Di Angelo was framed for killing Keanu Taylor on Christmas by the Six, who are desperate to avoid facing justice for watching Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) do the deed herself and helping her get rid of the body.

After initially fleeing the courtroom during her pal Sharon’s time of need, Linda Carter was lured back to the witness stand as she gave her statement on Dean, putting him at the scene of the crime on the day of Keanu’s murder. But while the defence questioned her recollection, she laid her cards on the table by admitting she was an alcoholic.

Things didn’t look good for Dean when Linda formally claimed she’d seen him carrying something in Albert Square, but when he was eventually called to testify, he made sure he wouldn’t be taken down for a crime he didn’t commit by admitting he raped Linda.

Dean made the confession when he was asked why the weapon used to kill Keanu had been found at his home, to which he replied that it may have been planted there by Linda and her pals because of his assault on her.

“I denied it for years, it’s driven her nuts. But that is what this is about”, he dramatically shared, suggesting that Linda was getting her revenge by framing him for murder. Before adding: “I raped her, send me down for that!”

Chaos ruled over the courtroom as Dean’s admission – the first in a decade since he raped Linda in the Queen Vic kitchen – forced the judge to announce a break, leading up to the end of this evening’s episode.

The scenes set social media ablaze as numerous viewers rushed over to X, otherwise known as Twitter, to share their thoughts, hinting at the possibility that Dean may be thrown behind bars for Linda’s rape, rather than for Keanu’s murder.

“How can Dean finally say that then shrug he is the devil”, one soap fan lamented. Another jumped in: “Nah eastenders has spun my fucking mind, dean admitted raping Linda? Nah that’s crazy.”

A third then wrote: “The way Dean just spun it omg!”, while a fourth echoed: “DEAN DID NOT JUST DO THAT. Anyway let me not spoil it for the 8 o’clock watchers.” One shocked soap fan continued: “Dean confessed finally some justice for Linda.” A final fan commented: “Linda Carter taking down evil Dean.”

Fears have emerged over the future of several characters in the programme as Dean’s trial is set to have serious repercussions on life in Walford. Viewers initially didn’t think Dean or killer Linda would be the ones going to prison, as they thought that one of The Six might confess.

Ahead of Chrissie Watts’ brief return to the show, years on from her killing Sharon’s father Den Watts, fans think a reunion for the pair is on the cards, meaning that Letitia Dean’s on-screen alter ego may be the one to find herself in prison, after being held in custody for contempt of court.