EastEnders’ serial killer Gray hatches a new plot – he is as dangerous as ever

| Freelance Soaps Reporter Published July 20, 2026 11:59pm Guess who’s back…back again (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron) Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) is one of the most vile creatures EastEnders has ever produced and, until recently, we thought we were done with him. The sinister solicitor arrived in Walford alongside his wife Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer), but beneath the ‘perfect husband’ veneer he showed the world lay a heart as black as coal and a diseased brain capable of unbridled cruelty. Torturing her with every form of abuse a human could conceive, she ultimately lost her life when her attempt to escape resulted in her utterly tragic death; Gray slammed her into an open washing machine and she succumbed to her wounds. Gray, a master manipulator through and through, managed to make it look like an accident. Once Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White) discovered Gray’s secret, though, her days became numbered, and though she bravely stood up to him, he responded by strangling her to death, burying her beneath Argee Bhajee and making it look as though she’d fled. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami) made it a trifecta of victims for Gray when he began to romance Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), the object of Gray’s latest obsession, and found himself in the path of an oncoming train. Gray claimed a number of lives during his reign of terror (Picture: BBC) He later moved into a whirlwind romance with Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams), marrying her as the two excitedly prepared for the arrival of their baby. Old habits die hard, though, and for a man as rotten as Gray, this proved incredibly true when he began to exert coercive control over Chelsea. Joining forces with Whitney, the two ensured that Gray was arrested and sentenced to life in prison, where he remains to this day, though it’s become apparent that, even from behind bars, Gray still poses a major threat. In his stead, grandma Sheila Atkins (Sheila Ruskin) has been moving the chess pieces for Gray. Gray is using Sheila as a proxy (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron) Having long been attempting to financially support he and Chelsea’s son, Jordan (Izaiah Hagan-Brown), his recent life-changing injuries from a hit-and-run has seen Chelsea welcome her into the life of the Fox-Truemans. Sheila, of course, is reporting everything back to Gray, who’s returned to screens during his grandma’s visits. Next week sees him on the wing, where an almighty kick off amongst the other prisoners sees a brand new scheme develop for the wrong’un. With Sheila as his eyes, ears and hands in Walford, what does Gray have in store for the residents of Albert Square? 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: Who did Gray kill in EastEnders as murderer stages shock return? Arrow MORE: All EastEnders cast returns, exits and new arrivals coming up in 2026 Arrow MORE: Beloved EastEnders character confirms exit but the goodbye is shrouded in tragedy The Soaps Newsletter – Daily All the latest soaps spoilers and gossip, in your inbox every morning.