EastEnders fans convinced star has been 'silently axed' after 'huge episode clue'

Howie Danes made a shock confession during tonight's EastEnders episode - as it was revealed that he knew Oscar Branning was the one who attacked Patrick Trueman after all. However, fans are convinced the storyline is leading to an 'exit' for Howie.

During last night's episode, we saw Howie find Patrick lying on the floor unconscious, after Oscar knocked him to the ground as he stole his winnings after betting on a horse race. As Howie entered the house, Oscar hid around the corner, making a dash for it before Howie could catch him.

Later in the episode, Kim was heard asking Howie in the hospital whether he had any idea who the culprit was, which he said he didn't. However, fans were left shocked at the end of the episode, when he turned up to Lauren's house, informing them he knew what Oscar had done. It comes after an EastEnders legend was rushed to hospital after a deadly attack by a familiar face.

READ MORE: EastEnders' Joel Marshall finally punished for sick acts after shock 'illegal' discovery

READ MORE: EastEnders Joel Marshall star's real age leaves fans 'gobsmacked' as he celebrates milestone

He then demanded Oscar gave him the money back he stole, but Lauren was left less than impressed when she realised the fact that Howie wanted to keep the money for himself.

"So you ain't got no proof, you're just trying to blackmail us?,`" she questioned. "I'm really sorry but you're going to have to do your worst because we don't know what you're talking about."

Howie then stormed out the room, exclaiming: "Your choice!" But will he tell the police what he knows or will he keep the secret?

Fans now think there's even more to the storyline, as Howie has been getting a lot of screentime in recent episodes. Last week, he was left devastated when he overheard his partner Kim comparing her to her ex Vincent. Fans were convinced a break-up was on the cards, leading to his exit. Now, they're even more convinced his character is on the way out with the amount he's been on screens.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan penned: "Wonder where they're going with this Howie story. He's been a background character for so long, it feels weird having him front and centre." Another penned: "It feels basically confirmed that this is Howie’s exit storyline," while a third wrote: "I feel like Howie's been axed unofficially. Just like Bernie & Felix, he's suddenly getting screen time and him x Kim seem to be getting stale."

However, others think the show are doing the complete opposite, and taking his character back to how he was when he first joined.

"Loved seeing that side of Howie at the end of tonight's episode. He's starting to show traits of Vincent and I don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing yet," one fan wrote. "This could be a brand new storyline for 'Bad Howie.' in trying to measure up to Vincent and be the man of the family."

Another agreed: "The Dark Side Of Howie Needs To Come Out Lol Remember How He Entered The Show."

Howie was introduced to the show in October 2021, when he found Vincent's wallet, and created a new identity for himself "Vince Hubbard".

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Threads.