The echoes of Zoe Slater’s (Michelle Ryan) dramatic return after two decades are still reverberating through Albert Square, but even as fans grapple with her troubled state, a new, explosive theory has ignited the Walford rumour mill, threatening to shatter the very foundations of the Slater family tree and resurrect the chilling legacy of one of its most notorious villains: Dirty Den Watts. Viewers are putting the pieces together, and their chilling conclusion links Zoe, Joel, and the long-dead Den in an unthinkable web of deceit and hidden parentage.

The Vile Newcomer and His Abandoning Mother

Joel Marshall (Max Murray), who arrived from Australia earlier this year with his father Ross (Alex Walkinshaw), has swiftly established himself as one of Walford’s most sinister and disturbing new residents. Ross initially feigned financial troubles, but the shocking truth about Joel’s past—involving a serious sex offence at school—soon came to light, leaving Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) stunned. Since his arrival, Joel’s abhorrent behaviour has escalated: he filmed himself having sex with Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) without her knowledge, exposed Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall) to explicit adult content, and most recently, committed sexual assault on a stranger on the tube, with Tommy recording the incident.

Amidst these dark revelations, Joel confided in Tommy about a deep-seated resentment towards women, stemming from his mother abandoning him as a child. He chillingly referred to her as a ‘slapper’. This confession, combined with Zoe Slater’s concurrent return to the Square—after a 20-year hiatus and clearly not having her life in order—sparked the initial, already shocking, fan theory: Could Zoe be Joel’s abandoning mother?

The Earth-Shattering Twist: Dirty Den’s Secret Son?

However, fervent viewers have taken this theory to an entirely new, explosive level, pondering a twist so audacious it could redefine Walford’s dark history. They are speculating that Joel Marshall isn’t just Zoe’s abandoned son, but is secretly the long-lost offspring of none other than the iconic, notorious villain Dirty Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), through a shock adoption twist!

To understand the sheer magnitude of this theory, one must recall Zoe’s tumultuous past with Den. In 2003, after Den’s dramatic ‘return from the dead,’ he manipulated a heartbroken Zoe into sleeping with him. Zoe did indeed conceive Den’s child, only for Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman) to cruelly manipulate her into terminating the pregnancy as part of Chrissie’s vengeful plot against Den. Den was eventually murdered by Chrissie in 2005, with Zoe complicit.

Yet, some viewers now fiercely contest that Zoe terminated her pregnancy. Instead, they speculate that the child was born and secretly adopted, with Joel Marshall being that very child. This theory even tackles Joel’s seemingly young age (around 15 years old), suggesting a possible fabrication or misunderstanding regarding his true age to fit the timeline.

“I reckon it will transpire Joel is actually adopted and his real parents are Zoe Slater and Dirty Den! I’m here for it! #EastEnders,” one fan emphatically shared on X. Another mused: “How long after den dying did Zoe leave? If she was to be his mum could it potentially lead to a dna revealing ross isn’t Joel’s dad and his dad was actually….dirty den. Would be absolutely ridiculous but would explain Joel’s behavior lol.”

The Unthinkable Ramifications for Walford

The implications of this theory are nothing short of catastrophic for Albert Square. If Joel is indeed the secret son of Dirty Den and Zoe Slater, it would mean:

• Kat Slater would unknowingly be the grandmother of Walford’s most chilling new resident.
• Tommy Moon would be Joel’s unsuspecting uncle.
• The Slater family tree would be irrevocably rewritten by a secret buried for two decades.
• Joel’s ‘vile’ behaviour could be chillingly attributed to the dark legacy of his infamous biological father, Den.

While some fans, like a Reddit user, acknowledge it “would be absolutely ridiculous,” they also admit it “would explain Joel’s behavior lol,” highlighting the compelling, albeit outlandish, nature of the theory.

As Zoe grapples with her turbulent return and hints at her chaotic life in Ibiza – returning briefly this week before a permanent summer comeback – the possibility of her abandoning Den’s child adds an agonizing layer of depth to her character. Could EastEnders truly pull off a twist of this magnitude, connecting one of its most beloved (and troubled) former characters with its most iconic villain and its newest, most disturbing resident? The revelation would send shockwaves through Walford, leaving no family untouched.

What do YOU think? Is Joel Marshall the secret son of Zoe Slater and Dirty Den Watts? The truth, if it ever emerges, promises to be one of EastEnders’ most EARTH-SHATTERING secrets.