EastEnders Pastor Clayton killed himself this week on the soap – but viewers reckon he is actually alive and in hiding

EastEnders fans are convinced villain Pastor Clayton is not actually dead.

The bad guy, played by Howard Saddler, rocked up to Walford in December as the square’s local church leader. Things took a sickening turn though, when he ended up sexually assaulting Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter).

The ordeal had a huge effect on Yolande’s mental health. And in an emotional flashback episode, it was revealed that Pastor Clayton had a history of sexually assaulting women, spanning decades.

Yolande eventually found the courage to report Clayton – but was told by police that they did not have enough evidence to charge him. A second woman, Delia, then came forward revealing he had attacked her years ago.

The CPS charged the pastor with two counts of sexual assault. However, this week, the pastor showed up at Yolande’s home and asked her to withdraw her statement – something she refused.

Later on though, Yolande was informed that Clayton had taken his life. During Wednesday’s episode (October 1), Yolande was left reeling at the news, angry that she would never get to hear him confess to assaulting her.

Yolande was then visited by the pastor’s wife Stella (Velile Tshabalala), and following an emotional conversation, Stella revealed that Pastor Clayton had sent her a voice note before he took his own life.

Yolande agreed to listen to the voice note with her, in the hope that the pastor might have finally confessed. But in a heartbreaking twist, the pastor insisted he is “wholly innocent.”

However, fans are now convinced that Clayton isn’t actually dead in what would be a huge twist, and have ‘worked out’ who is ‘hiding’ him. Sharing their thoughts online, fans pointed out how viewers are yet to see his deceased body.

One person said: “I don’t believe Pastor Clayton is dead ngl, and I don’t trust his wife.” Someone else added: “My view is in Soapland, if we don’t find proof or see signs of a body. There’s a 50/50 chance he’s not dead.”

A third penned: “Don’t rule out the possibility of Clayton faking his own death in a means to escape justice. Stella could be keeping him in hiding somewhere or perhaps sent him away because she’s always been so adamant that he is innocent.”