Detective Craig oversteps as he moves in closer to Amy in EastEnders

| Freelance soaps writer Published August 3, 2026 11:59pm Is everything as it seems? (Picture: BBC) The hunt for Joel Marshall’s (Max Murray) attacker in EastEnders takes an unexpected turn next week when Jack Branning’s (Scott Maslen) police colleague DC Craig Ingram (Matthew James Bailey) starts getting suspiciously close to his daughter Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd). Amy is one of the Walford teens in the frame for bashing incel Joel over the head after the group locked him up to humiliate him and get justice for his crimes against their friend Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James). As yet, no one has come forward to admit they were the one responsible for the near-fatal blow delivered to Joel, with Amy, Avani, Denzel Danes (Jaden Luke Ladega), Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman), Ricky Branning (Frankie Day), Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips), Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) and Nugget Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) all keeping schtum. Craig is leading on the case, and upcoming episodes see him cross a line with Amy in his search for the truth – but is there something more going on between the pair? On Monday, the gang secretly meet to discuss Joel, but Craig stumbles on them, and they make their excuses before dispersing. Joel was attacked shortly after being released from the young offenders unit (Picture: BBC) Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Later, the copper has a clandestine chat with Amy, where he continues to probe her, but Jack spots them and intervenes, before Craig lies that he was checking in on Amy’s welfare. Meanwhile, the other teens start to turn on each other after Lily speaks to Craig, before another truth comes to light. Following an explosive argument between them all, Amy heads back to No.27 where she and Jack argue, causing her to storm off. When Craig later spots her confiding in Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace), he then crosses a professional line by offering her a shoulder to cry on. But as they speak in the park, Amy soon drops a bombshell that could turn the case on its head – what will Craig do with the information? Craig oversteps (Picture: BBC) Walford newcomer Craig is played by Matthew James Bailey, who is best known for playing Ethan Williams on Hollyoaks from 2021 to 2024. ‘Joining EastEnders has been a dream come true,’ he said of being cast in the long-running BBC soap. ‘From it being the soundtrack to my childhood, always on in the background at home, to gathering around the TV with my family every Christmas, being able to play even a small part in such an iconic piece of British television is truly surreal.’ EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 10th August at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer. Deals of the Day Wuka launches the UK’s first period-proof swimwear for heavy flows Bridgerton fans are rushing to buy these new Netflix-inspired perfumes now £12 off The affordable summer wardrobe update you'll wear from rooftop drinks to beach holidays The £7.99 lip balm beauty fans love for glossy, hydrated lips just dropped four new shades This Keskine hydrogel mask could fix your summer skin Arrow MORE: New evidence on Joel’s attack exposed in EastEnders as lies fall apart – and Ross is furious Arrow MORE: EastEnders teens thick as thieves in loving pictures despite soap incel attack Arrow MORE: EastEnders ‘confirms’ who attacked Joel as staggering revelation is made The Soaps Newsletter – Daily All the latest soaps spoilers and gossip, in your inbox every morning.