EastEnders confirms what Lily is hiding about the night of Joel’s attack – and it’s not what you think

| Deputy Soaps Editor Published August 11, 2026 9:18am Updated August 11, 2026 9:19am Lily revealed her big secret about the night of Joel’s attack (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron) EastEnders spoilers follow for Tuesday’s (August 11) episode, which can now be streamed on BBC iPlayer. The episode in question will air at 7:30pm. Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) has been harbouring quite a secret about the night Joel Marshall (Max Murray) was attacked – and she’s finally come clean about just what that secret entails. Joel, as viewers will recall, was set upon in the park by a bunch of local teens, who wanted to show him just how unwelcome he was in Walford following his release from prison. Lily had invited Joel to the park on the day in question but he was soon targeted by Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James), Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd), Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman), Ricky (Frankie Day), Nugget (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) and Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega), who tied him up and poured beer over him, recording the incident on their phones. After leaving him chained to a fence for 45 minutes, the teens went to retrieve Joel, only to discover that he’d been untied and attacked, left for dead with a serious head injury. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. An investigation was subsequently launched, with each of the kids professing their innocence, claiming to have had no idea what happened with Joel. Joel was attacked last month – but by who? (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron) DC Craig Ingram (Matthew James Bailey) has been leading the investigation and, upon questioning everyone involved, he agreed to withhold the video they recorded of Joel prior to the attack, with Joel himself not wanting it submitted into evidence. Amy, meanwhile, has made it her mission to get information on Craig’s thoughts and suspicions about who is to blame, with Ricky worried about being implicated since his bike chain was used to restrain Joel. Avani and Denzel seemingly have secrets of their own, as does Lily, who has been acting shifty in the wake of the attack. In fact, Jean (Gillian Wright) feared that Lily may have been the one to carry out the attack. Lily paid Joel a visit in Tuesday’s edition of the BBC One soap, desperate to convince him that she had no part in what happened to him. When Jean got wind of her presence at No. 43, she dragged her granddaughter back home and demanded answers. Lily has some explaining to do (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron) Lily confessed that, although she did not attack Joel, she was the one who released him from captivity prior. The realisation stunned Jean to her core but before she could get the whole truth out of Lily, DC Craig arrived on their doorstep, wanting to talk to Lily again. After giving it some thought, Jean decided that Lily must tell Craig what she told her. Lily was apprehensive at first but ultimately spilled the beans, revealing that she untied Joel. But that wasn’t everything. She also confirmed that she saw Denzel sneaking off – just before Joel got attacked. Does this confirm that Denzel is the attacker? And just what will Craig do with this information? Lily, meanwhile, is confronted by Joel later in the week. Will he believe that she wasn’t the one who left him for dead? Deals of the Day Parents can save up to 30% on Kickers school shoes ahead of the new term The back-to-school hack that's helping parents avoid queues and sold-out sizes Could your hair be wavy rather than straight? This brand thinks so Could your star sign improve your skincare routine? This new beauty launch thinks so Best skincare for menopausal skin? This dermatologist-created treatment is tailored to you EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer. If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. Arrow MORE: All EastEnders spoilers for next week as Ian works with serial killer Gray to destroy Chelsea Arrow MORE: EastEnders rules out three suspects in who attacked Joel mystery Arrow MORE: Avani rocked to the core by staggering confession from Barney over Joel’s attack in EastEnders The Soaps Newsletter – Daily All the latest soaps spoilers and gossip, in your inbox every morning.