[Patrick]

THE great EastEnders whodunnit will be solved tonight as Archie Mitchell's killer is revealed at last in a LIVE episode.

It is the best kept secrets in telly history.

According to our TV Biz poll, most fans expect crazed Sean Slater, played by Rob Kazinsky, to make a shock return in tonight's special episode and confess to murdering Archie (Larry Lamb) for raping his sister Stacey (Lacey Turner).


But others reckon ex-copper Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and even geeky teenager Ben Mitchell (Charlie Jones) are also in the frame.

Unmasking the killer will be the climax of EastEnders' first live broadcast as the BBC1 show marks its 25th anniversary.

It will feature 51 characters and bosses have doubled the budget to £500,000 - making it the most ambitious episode to date.

The cast has been rehearsing for two weeks and filmed several scenes as back-ups in case anything goes wrong.

Shona McGarty, who plays Whitney Dean, looked anxious as she took a break from rehearsals yesterday while having a cigarette. Stars admitted they were getting jittery.

Scott Maslen said: "I'm nervous but it's going to be fun. People are riling each other about who will muck up."

Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey Slater, said: "I'm excited and a little bit nervous. Everyone is ready. We're crossing our fingers."


Charlie Clements, whose character Bradley Branning will die tonight, said: "I'm thinking of it as like doing a bit of theatre."

Adam Woodyatt - Ian Beale, another suspect for the Christmas Day battering - said: "We've got ten possible endings, but I won't be surprised if there is a secret eleventh."

And Charlie Brooks (Janine Butcher) said: "I want to find out whether it's me that killed Archie as I want to know if I've got a job next year."