eastenders claudette whacks gavin with candlestick
Claudette knocks Gavin on the head with a candlestick in Monday's (7 March) EastEnders episode BBC

Has queen-of-cleavage EastEnders matriarch Claudette Hubbard actually gone and dunnit by killing Gavin Sullivan? The episode on Monday (7 March) showed Claudette (Ellen Thomas) enticing Gavin upstairs for a sexual encounter before whacking him over the head with a candlestick. And we thought romance was dead.

After trying to pay him in, er, kindness, nefarious Gavin (Paul Nicholas) still wanted money to keep quiet about Claudette being a former prostitute. And as he lay motionless on the floor post-candle-gate, viewers were left hanging off their seats wondering if he was really dead. Some fans didn't seem too distraught by the thought...

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The dramatic scene unfolded when Gavin was about to leave and portentously murmured that all too familiar catchphrase under his breath: "I always get what's coming to me" – yikes – Claudette lost the plot before cracking him over the head with one of Kim's prized candlesticks. Respect to her for committing murder in a skin-tight bodycon dress – keeping it glam at all times.

The messy incident occurred after Gavin had said Claudette had been through all of his gang back in the day, including the likes of Dirty Den and Ernie Mitchell (Phil's dad) and even provided her with photographic evidence, causing a giggle among viewers. She's made her way round Albert Square, that's for certain.

Claudette kills Gavin?
Oops: Claudette realises she might have killed Gav BBC

In Tuesday night's (8 March) instalment, a stunned Claudette reels from her actions and attempts to brush the evidence under the carpet, but gets into a pickle when Vincent shows up and demands to know what's really going on. Mind your own beeswax, Vincent.

Claudette can't handle telling a wee porkie and cracks under light interrogation, revealing the truth and letting hell break loose as a consequence. Seeing as the BBC One soap had previously teased viewers about a Mother's Day to remember, it certainly lived up to expectations as Vincent's old girl made quite the impression. Let's hope she didn't get any candle paraphernalia as a Mother's Day gift...

Elsewhere, after countless warnings from the likes of her sister Kim and Shirley, Denise got a shock of her own when Jordan tried to convince her to run away with him, his son JJ and murderer father Lucas. Sounds like a trustworthy getaway gang – but will she go through with it?

EastEnders tonight at 7.30pm on BBC One.