EastEnders producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins has teased the outcome of the ongoing Lucy Beale plot, saying that it will become apparent who wasn't responsible on New Year's Day.
Lucy (Hetti Bywater) was murdered in mysterious circumstances earlier in the year, but the killer isn't due to be unveiled until the anniversary episodes next February.
However, Treadwell-Collins has revealed that viewers won't be left completely in the dark until then as the suspect list will soon narrow.
Speaking to Inside Soap, he said: "We have got some big plans for the anniversary that we are already working on. That celebration has to be perfect.
"What I can tell you about Lucy Beale's killer is that on New Year's Day, viewers are going to be very clear on who did not do it. The list of suspects will become much, much smaller."
Treadwell-Collins also insisted that the outcome feels emotionally right, reiterating that it had to come from the heart.
He said: "When we first talked about the story, there was one killer - but something did not fit right about that person. It was a very clever idea, but it didn't come from the heart.
"So Sharon Batten (story producer), Alex Lamb (story producer) Manpreet Dosanjh (script producer) and I locked ourselves away in a hotel room to come up with an alternative killer.
"It feels emotionally right, true and very exciting. From that moment it's been locked in, and we would not cheat the audience by changing it now."
Speaking about keeping the plot such a closely guarded secret, Treadwell-Collins said: "The hardest thing is when people have thrown their theories at me and got it right. It's so difficult to keep your cool and pretend not to care."