Bonnie Langford has hinted that there's a miserable Christmas ahead for her character Carmel Kazemi.

The show will be exposing Max Branning's true colours to the whole of Albert Square very soon – and few people will be more shocked than Carmel.

Carmel has found herself drawn into Max's web this year, as he started a relationship with her when he realised her job on the council would be useful for his big revenge plan.

In next week's dramatic EastEnders episodes, the truth about Max's lying and scheming becomes the talk of the Square when he finally gets caught out – so how will Carmel feel about being taken for a ride?

Bonnie told Inside Soap: "The whole of December and into the New Year is quite bleak for Carmel. It's going to be very dramatic and revelatory, and I think she'll learn a lot about other people and herself.

"But Carmel will be strong and she will rise from the ashes – at least I hope she does, anyway!"

Discussing her character's ill-fated relationship, she added: "I was quite nervous when Max and Carmel initially got together, as I didn't want her to look desperate and silly. But I think it's been dealt with very nicely.

"There've been times when she's turned around to Max and said, 'Are you lying to me?', so she has tried to pull him up on many occasions.

"And actually, in many respects, Max has been appreciative of her being the only person to see any kind of good in him at all. That's the thing with Carmel – she sees the good in everyone. Unless it's affecting her boys, and then you see the lioness!"

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/east...mel-christmas/