Sharon holding a yellow card in the Vic in EastEnders
Sharon Watts will be conned by a fellow Walford resident (Picture: BBC)

EastEnders’ Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) will be unwittingly fleeced by a seriously unexpected character next week, as they resort to desperate measures in a hunt for cash. 

Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) finds himself in dire financial straits in forthcoming scenes, when he’s handed an £18,000 bill outstanding care fees for wife Debbie, who is in a coma. 

Viewers of the BBC soap have seen how Reiss has been draining money from Debbie’s account in order to pay for partner Sonia Fowler’s (Natalie Cassidy) IVF treatment. 

After falling three months behind on payments for Debbie’s care, Reiss’ stress levels are sky high as he looks to try and self-fund the shortfall. 

Sonia rejects the idea of them inviting a lodger to live with them, and reasons that they will find a way to generate the cash. 

Reiss is relieved when Sharon then throws him a lifeline by offering him some work chasing her outstanding invoices. 

Reiss holding a laptop in the kitchen in EastEnders
Reiss is stressed after falling behind with Debbie’s care home fees (Picture: BBC)

Seeing an opportunity, Reiss decides to use some creative accounting to line his pockets while calling in the money Sharon’s owed.

When Sharon later hands him his pay along with a bonus doing the job at short notice, Reiss feels terrible for conning her, and lies to Sonia that he has enough to pay the care bill. 

Sharon gives Reiss money in EastEnders
Sharon hires Reiss to do some work for her – but he sees an opportunity to raise extra cash (Picture: BBC)

However, with his debts still outstanding, will Reiss manage to keep his deception a secret, or will he be forced to resort to even more extreme measures to get his hands on quick cash?

EastEnders airs these scenes next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC Two, and from 6am on iPlayer. 

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