Shocking Twist | New Name Drops | But Are We Being Lied To Again?

Just when EastEnders fans thought they had it all figured out, the soap pulls the rug out once more. The mystery surrounding Joel Marshall’s mother—long left unspoken since his arrival earlier this year—finally seemed to be answered in a recent episode. But fans aren’t buying it. Is Cleo really his mum, or is this just a smokescreen hiding something far more dramatic?

Joel, Vicki Fowler’s stepson, landed in Walford alongside Vicki and his dad Ross, but his backstory has been murky at best. While his strained bond with Ross hinted at deeper issues, viewers latched onto one theory with obsessive passion: that Joel’s mother was none other than Zoe Slater, who recently returned to the Square after years away. But now, a new name has been thrown into the mix—and chaos has ensued.

Cleo—Real Mother or Red Herring?

During a vulnerable heart-to-heart with Tommy, Joel opened up about his mum for the very first time. “Everything changed,” he admitted, referencing life back in Australia before his mother, Cleo, allegedly cheated on his dad. When asked if he missed her, Joel shrugged off the sentiment: “I don’t think about her much. I’ve got way more going on for me over here anyway.” But is this emotionally detached response genuine, or hiding something more complicated?

It wasn’t just the teen-to-teen chat that stirred interest. Earlier, Vicki told Ross point-blank: “You saw his face turn when I mentioned Cleo. He won’t even call her ‘mum’.” A damning detail—perhaps—but also suspiciously convenient. Is this simply the surface of a much larger story?

Fans Cry “Cover-Up”

EastEnders viewers are notoriously sharp, and many aren’t swallowing the “Cleo” reveal. Within minutes of the episode airing, X (formerly Twitter) lit up with disbelief. “Joel’s mum is called Cleo is it? Sure,” one fan posted with a skeptical tone. Another chimed in with a chilling possibility: “I get the feeling that ‘Cleo’ could be a cover name that Zoe has been using. This goes deeper.”

Could Zoe Slater be living a secret double life? Has she been hiding in plain sight under a new identity—and why? Given EastEnders’ love for explosive family secrets and long-lost parentage twists, the idea isn’t far-fetched.

But Others Say “Case Closed”

Not everyone’s buying into the conspiracy. Some fans believe the mystery has, at last, been solved. “Vicki seemed to know who Cleo was,” one viewer tweeted, “and she’s been mates with Joel’s dad before they got together, so guessing it’s not Zoe.” A fair point—unless of course, Vicki herself is in on the lie.

And therein lies the brilliance of the situation: EastEnders is keeping us guessing.

Why Now?

What makes this “reveal” all the more suspicious is the timing. Just as viewers are waiting for Zoe’s permanent return later this year, the show conveniently closes the door on the theory that she’s Joel’s mother? Or did they just crack it open wider?

After all, Alfie Moon came back from Barcelona without Zoe, and yet her name lingers like a shadow over the Square. With Joel’s erratic behaviour—drinking with Tommy, raging in the Vic, screaming at Stacey before being dragged away—there’s clearly a storm inside him that has yet to be explained. Could Zoe be the key?

The Bigger Picture

Joel’s storyline is slowly becoming one of the most psychologically rich arcs EastEnders has introduced in recent years. Abandonment, fractured family ties, identity crisis—and now the possibility of a maternal deception—make for a potent recipe of emotional devastation. Whether Cleo is a throwaway name or a deeply buried truth, fans are hungry for answers.

Could we see Cleo arrive in the flesh? Or will Zoe’s reappearance rewrite the entire narrative again? Will Joel’s rage spiral further, forcing secrets to surface? And how will Vicki and Ross navigate the fallout?