Is Rocky Cotton the dead body in EastEnders at Christmas? All the clues and theories

Since February, when a flashforward promised a massive whodunnit mystery, we've been pondering all the clues, watching for new developments week after week. And now we can't help but wonder whether Rocky is set to meet a grisly fate.

While he's not the most unlikely candidate - you'll find others when you explore our other clue-sets - Rocky wouldn't have been our first guess as the identity of the dead body. But now that the situation has shifted, let's dive into this possibility below.

Is Rocky Cotton the dead body in EastEnders at Christmas?

Imminent exit

As we mentioned above, Rocky is due to depart Albert Square. Some viewers have speculated that this could impact the Christmas whodunnit, but even if it does in some way, we're not convinced EastEnders will change direction purely because of this exit.

If Rocky is indeed the body on The Queen Vic floor, it will be part of the plan. It was confirmed that Conley made the decision to leave the show some time ago. So not such a hasty exit, as initially rumoured. The team may have had plenty of time to factor in Rocky's shelf life.

Or, perhaps the star's announcement simply plays into EastEnders' game plan, meaning Rocky was actually doomed to die all along? Whatever the truth is, Rocky's imminent farewell means he could well be leaving in a body bag...

Kathy's Cafe fire

Of course, Rocky's chief crime in the run-up to Christmas has been his insurance scam to pay off his debts, including to the villainous Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry).

The fire saw Kathy's livelihood destroyed and almost killed her grandsons Bobby (Clay Milner Russell) and Peter Beale (Thomas Law) before Kathy herself almost faced prison time.

When the truth came out, Rocky was shunned by the Beale family and Kathy ended their marriage. However, Kathy showed mercy by not wanting the police involved.

This would suggest she would not feel strong enough to kill him, as Nish became more of the target of her ire.

However, will Rocky's deal with the devil come back to haunt him in an even darker fashion?

Jo Cotton's return

Rocky's ex-wife Jo (Vicki Michelle) has made several trips to Walford, targeting him with a blackmail plot in her last visit after falsifying their divorce documents - just as Rocky was about to marry Kathy (Gillian Taylforth).

Kathy's son Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) got rid of Jo by impersonating a police officer, but Jo had already conned the couple out of £50,000 by then! Also, Jo left while making a secret phone call, promising a mystery someone that there was more to "take" from Rocky.

Maybe her next comeback coincides with the festive season, and a showdown ensues which leads Jo to leave Rocky for dead...

Kathy Cotton's ripped dress

The tear on Kathy's dress was noted by the writer of the flashforward episode - Daran Little. Does this mean it's significant? We can't imagine that Rocky will ever do anything to physically hurt Kathy, but he certainly could commit another blunder.

Whether the latter occurs or not, if Jo's actions result in an altercation, what if a severely injured Rocky tries to cling onto his beloved Kathy, ripping her outfit as he falls to the floor and ultimately perishes?

The Knight

You'll know by now that a knight stands in the background of the Christmas murder scene. We're linking this to Rocky because of a memorable quote from Conley, as he previously told RadioTimes.com: "I proposed to my wife dressed as a knight in armour."

With Rocky an honourable man, if not always an honest one, could he be trying to help someone - whether it's another member of The Six, or his own wife Kathy? Like our other possible 'knights in shining armour', might Rocky then get caught up in the chaos of an evil character, and pay with his life?

Read more:

• 6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Nugget goes missing
• EastEnders’ Lacey Turner reveals new Christmas murder mystery theory
• EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
• EastEnders’ Shane Richie: Alfie ‘broken’ over Kat amid prostate cancer diagnosis

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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