- The great Lucy Beale whodunnit has finally been solved on EastEnders
- Her half-brother Bobby was revealed as killer in semi-live episode last night
- Storyline has been ongoing for last 10 months - 77 suspects at one stage
- 'EastEnders Live week' organised to celebrate the show's 30th anniversary
- Viewing figures peaked at 11.9million for dramatic unmasking episodes
- More than one million posts on Twitter last night in relation to conclusion
- Kathy Beale returned and Dot Cotton arrested for murder last night
- Tonight's show to reveal who knew about murder and who moved the body
It was one of the most hotly anticipated episodes in EastEnders history, with 11.9million people tuning in to finally find out who had killed tragic Lucy Beale.
But as 11-year-old Bobby was unmasked as his half-sister's unlikely killer, the soap's legions of loyal fans were left feeling a little flat.
Viewers took to social media in their thousands to express disappointment at the plot's outcome, with some critics labelling the mystery 'the worst twist ever'.
Almost 12million people tuned in to watch the dramatic episode which marked the soap's 30th anniversary.
The real killer: 11-year-old Bobby Beale - carrying the infamous music box - was revealed to have murdered his half-sister in a fit of rage. In the show, it was revealed that the music box was the last thing she heard
Ouch: Many fans reacted angrily to thew 'ludicrously overblown' story line following Thursday's big reveal
Fans were kept guessing to the very end until it was clear that Bobby beat his sibling over the head with a music box in a fit of rage on Good Friday last year.
The mystery surrounding Lucy's death has sparked 10 months of speculation for fans of the long-running BBC One show, which last night also marked its 30th anniversary.
In dramatic scenes during a second flashback episode of Thursday's live double bill, Lucy's body was found by step-mother Jane, who then turned round to find Bobby behind her clutching the murder weapon.
The 11-year-old then said: 'Whatever she says, she started it. She made everyone unhappy.'
Tonight's live show will reveal who helped cover up the crime and how Lucy's body ended up dumped on Walford Common.
Mystery solved: Bobby Beale was finally unveiled as Lucy Beale's killer on Thursday night's flashback special
Scene of the crime: Lucy was indeed killed at home before her body was dumped on Walford Common
Revelation: In the first episode of Thursday's double bill, Lucy's father Ian came to the wrong conclusion about the killer, believing it to be his new bride Jane. He was to later find out that it was in fact young Bobby
The revelation of the killer's identity came after a tumultuous week in which numerous Walford residents turned on each other and as accusations flew as to who sent Lucy to her death.
In two extraordinary episodes filled with plot twists, Kathy Beale came back from the dead and Dot Cotton told police she murdered her son 'Nasty Nick'.
Rapist Dean Weaks appeared to be lying dead in the Queen Vic's beer room after landlord Mick Carter attacked him and Kim Fox gave birth the pub's toilets.
Since Lucy was found dead last April, the soap has seen alibis disproven, motives revealed, and suspects brought into the frame, including her father Ian.
The mystery unravelled in this week's EastEnders Live Week, which saw more than one million extra viewers tune in.
The 'Live Week' saw regular EastEnders' episodes, airing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, interspersed with live scenes. Tonight's episode will be the only completely live episode of the week.
More than 9.6million viewers - a two-year high for the BBC One soap - watched the show as it first went live on Tuesday. It means the episode attracted 1.5million more viewers than last Tuesday's episode.
Viewing figures dipped for Wednesday's instalment but 8.9million people still tuned in.
The high viewing figures will no doubt please the show's bosses, who chose to wait almost a year – until the soap's 30th anniversary – to bring the dramatic whodunnit to a close.
An average of more than 10million people are thought to have tuned in last night to watch the conclusion to the long-standing storyline.
And, as the killer was revealed to be schoolboy Bobby, fans were sent into a frenzy on Twitter with more 30,000 tweets alone sent in the single minute after the killer was revealed.
Figures showed that more than one million tweets were sent in total during the two EastEnders' episodes which aired last night, making them the most tweeted-about episodes of a soap ever.
The second episode eclipsed the 508,678 messages sent during the first special by more than 10,000, with 519,359 tweets posted as the killer came closer to being unmasked, data from social analytics firm Kantar Social TV UK showed.
'It's you': Lucy's killer was only revealed in the last 10 seconds of a special flashback episode, which is part of the soap's week-long 30th anniversary celebrations. It is thought to have attracted over 10million viewers
In the frame: Lucy's brother Peter Beale raised suspicions throughout the show, declaring he had 'had enough' of his twin and her drug problem. He claimed earlier on in the show that she had been killed at home
Flashback: The whereabouts of Lucy's family and friends on that fateful Good Friday were finally revealed
At last: Viewers were able to follow Lucy Beale, played by Hetti Bywater, in her very last moments
WAS THIS THE MOST DRAMATIC EASTENDERS EVER? KATHY'S BACK FROM THE GRAVE, NASTY NICK MURDERED AND IS RAPIST DEAN DEAD?
Back from the dead: The return of Kathy Beale was one of many twists in last night's shows
Viewers described last night's EastEnders as one of the most dramatic in its 30-year history.
Not only was Lucy's killer revealed, a host of major characters were involved in a series of equally shocking storylines.
Lucy's grandmother Kathy Beale, played by Gillian Taylforth, returned to confront Phil Mitchell. She was previously thought to have been killed in a car crash in South Africa.
Kathy was last seen on the show in 2000 and had been a regular fixture on the long-running soap since 1985.
The BBC said her return was 'shrouded in secrecy'. To keep it under wraps, the scenes were shot live on location to prevent her being seen prior to her episode transmitting.
In a spot on the Thames overlooking Canary Wharf she begged her ex Phil to let her 'come home' before she rushed off in a cab.
Legendary character Dot Cotton was at the centre of her own major storyline, and was seen being driven away by police after telling them she killed her son 'Nasty Nick'.
Stalwart: Viewers were left in shock as Dot Cotton told police she killed her wayward son Nick and was arrested
In a throwback to the soap's very first scene 30 years ago, a group of Walford residents kicked down the door of Number 23 to find another dead body – this time, Nasty Nick Cotton's.
And upon learning that the heroin addict's own mother Dot Cotton had chosen to let him die, the group - including Dot's grandson Charlie Cotton and Sharon Mitchell - decided to protect her by covering up the crime.
During an emotional chat with long-suffering Dot, the pensioner explained she had killed her villainous son to stop him from causing any more pain - and Ian realised that sometimes the killer can be closer to home than you might think.
'I snapped and I didn't do it out of love, I did it out of anger for all the suffering he'd caused', Dot revealed. She left the Square in the back of a police car and is set to face a murder trial.
Meanwhile in the Queen Vic rapist Dean Wicks was trying to burn down the pub because he hates the Carter family.
Dean was seen pouring petrol all over the barrel store before Nancy Carter - Linda’s daughter - smells the fluid and is taken hostage. Her father Mick then finds them, knocks a lighter out of his hands and beats him up.
Mick then choked him with his foot and appeared to leave Dean dead on the floor.
Fight: Dean Wicks appeared to be left lying dead after trying to burn down the Vic and taking Nancy hostage, before being caught by landlord Mick Carter
It puts EastEnders on course to win a host of awards this year for the storyline, which is certainly one of the biggest ever to have surfaced in the soap's history.
The first cliffhanger episode of Thursday's double bill saw Lucy's father Ian dramatically pointing the finger at his new wife Jane in an hour-long, semi-live special.
But Jane arrived home to discover youngster Bobby standing over the troubled blonde's body holding a music box in his hand - the sound of which was revealed to be the last thing Lucy heard before her death.
'Whatever she says, she started it. She made everyone unhappy', a vicious-looking Bobby declared, presumably because he was tired of her drug problems tearing his family apart.
The build-up to the killer's unmasking threw viewers many red herrings, with a slew of Albert Square residents apparently having reason to want to kill the pretty blonde in the hours leading up to her death.
Ian Beale's ex-partner Denise Fox drew suspicion at one point after the pair had a physical fight, with Denise pushing Lucy to the ground.
But fans hadn't ruled out the prospect of there being another dramatic twist, with many rightly speculating that Jane was covering for someone else.
In the first of tonight's episodes, Ian had put in a mysterious phone call, saying: 'It's me. I know. I know you killed Lucy. Get everyone out of the house, I'm coming home.'
The suspense mounted until the very last second when Jane walked into the room, with Ian declaring: 'Tell me exactly what happened'.
Following Peter Beale's revelation on Wednesday night's instalment that his twin Lucy had been killed at home, the show began with his father Ian and stepmother Jane seeming incredulous at being accused of murder.
Showdown: The pretty blonde was confronted by several of her enemies during her final hours, it emerged
Devastated: Jane Beale received a panicked phone call - presumably from Bobby - and rushed home to find the young businesswoman's body. It came after her new husband Ian Beale accused her of murdering Lucy
Bad night: The events of Lucy's last night on earth went from bad to worse as she was confronted by several enemies, including Ben Mitchell. The show recalled her last moments before eventually revealing the killer
In the frame: Max Branning, who was having a fling with Lucy before her death, was initially a prime suspect
Disputing the veracity of Peter's girlfriend Lauren Branning's claim, everyone was quick to pin the blame on Ian's ex Denise Fox, who was living in the Beale household at the time of Lucy's death.
'I'll know the minute I ask her, I'll see it in her eyes', a furious Ian declared as he stormed off to confront her.
But the events of the night led the troubled newlywed to change his mind.
In a throwback to the soap's very first scene 30 years ago, a group of Walford residents kicked down the door of Number 23 to find another dead body – this time, Nasty Nick Cotton's.
And upon learning that the heroin addict's own mother Dot Cotton had chosen to let him die, the group - including Dot's grandson Charlie Cotton and Sharon Mitchell - decided to protect her by covering up the crime.
During an emotional chat with long-suffering Dot, the pensioner explained she had killed her villainous son to stop him from causing any more pain - and Ian realised that sometimes the killer can be closer to home than you might think.
'I snapped and I didn't do it out of love, I did it out of anger for all the suffering he'd caused', Dot revealed, and everything clicked into place for Ian.
While God-fearing Dot decided to face up to her mistakes and turn herself in to the police, Ian decided to let Lucy's killer come to him.
As he struggled to come to terms with the truth, the grieving father bumped into Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter and asked him whether killing out of love made it any better.
'Sometimes it's the people you love, it's for all sorts of reasons. Is that better, do you think? Killing out of love, not hate?', he mused.
'You know, don't you. You know who killed Lucy,' Mick replied.
'I didn't. Not until tonight. But I'm putting the pieces together. It's someone we all know.'
Eerie: The episode began with a shot of Lucy's body on Walford Common, following her death in April 2014
What a whirlwind: The BBC One soap served up 1.5 hours of dramatic twists and turns on Thursday
Suspicious: Denise Fox was one of the last people to see Lucy before her death and the pair ended up in a physical fight over Denise's then-relationship with Ian. She was one of the suspects in the viewers' eyes
Soon after, young Bobby was revealed to be the Lucy's killer, sending fans across the country into a frenzy.
Thousands took to Twitter as the killer was revealed to express their shock, with one woman even screaming so loudly that her neighbour called the police.
Sergeant Richard Berns, a policeman based in Hackney, said on Twitter: 'A woman screamed so loudly after the identity of #LucyBeale's killer was revealed. Her neighbours called the Police. All calm now...'
A Californian teenager named Bobbie Beale was also left feeling rather bemused after receiving tweets from people accusing her of 'killing Lucy'.
She wrote: 'Why are 3 people from Scotland that I don't know tweeting me about killing someone named Lucy...'
'Is this how the Kardashians feel getting notifications cause it's not that cool.'
She later told BuzzFeed News: 'I was definitely confused. I saw the BBC tweet it, and then I realised.
'I looked up the show and I thought, Oh, this makes sense now, but at first I was really confused because I thought it was a real-life thing and I thought Bobby Beale killed someone and I was like, 'It's not me'.'
It came as hilarious memes and funny vines of the show's storyline went viral on Twitter.
Many compared young Bobby to the evil child in cult horror film The Omen, while others posted mocked-up photos of him dressed as a gangster alongside the phrase: 'I been killin' since the fifth grade.'
The hot topic quickly became the top tending item on Twitter, with fans all over the country using #KillerReactions to respond to the soap's shocking plot twist.
One fan tweeted: 'Every person in the country with a younger brother is sleeping with one eye open tonight.'
Telling the truth: Dot Cotton finally confessed to letting her son Nasty Nick die during an emotional conversation with Ian and Sharon. She later handed herself in to police over the incident many years ago
Dramatic scenes: It was during his chat with Dot that Ian began to wonder whether his new bride Jane could have killed Lucy. However, he was to later find out that it was young Bobby who carried out the murder
Confessional: Dot turned herself in to the police, despite her friends and family trying to cover up her crime
Another tweet that quickly went viral was a picture of Bobby wearing a cap with the caption 'I'm real Bobby Shmurda. Straight savage from Walford,' playing on the name of American rapper Bobby Shmurda.
Another quick-off-the-mark fan even set up a 'Bobby Beale' parody account immediately after the revelation.
The account tweeted: 'I remember the day well... Was high off some orange juice. That blonde cow doing my nut in... It was time for her to go.'
Another tweet read: 'Yeah, I'm white, ten and a cold hearted murderer. Lucy Beale? Nah man, never heard of her.'
'Looking for a lawyer who specialises in Murder. If you have any information, call my old man. Money ain't a factor.'
High-profile viewers also took to the social networking site to discuss their thoughts after finding out the killer.
Queens Park Ranger striker Charlie Austin said he believed he knew the truth from the start, tweeting: 'I told ya'.
Hollyoaks actor Charlie Clapham was less shocked, writing: 'I like your style bob #EELive'
Meanwhile, comedian Chris Addison saw parallels with cartoon comedy The Simpsons: 'Brilliant. Maggie Simpson did it. #EELive'
National Grid also reported a spike in activity during the broadcast: 'National Grid control saw a 500MW pickup in elec demand for #EELive part 1 & 300MW for part 2.'
Thursday's episode, penned by the show's longest serving writer Rob Gittin, certainly wasn't short on drama as several other major storylines also came to a head.
Villainous Dean Wicks – who made an ominous return to Albert Square last night – took Nancy Carter hostage in a dramatic revenge plot.
Emotional: Ian asked confused pub landlord Mick Carter whether killing out of love made it any better
Back from the dead: Kathy Beale also made a surprise comeback for a showdown with hardman Phil Mitchell
Live birthing scenes: Denise Fox helped Kim as she went into premature labour, welcoming a baby girl, Pearl
Confronting the killer: Ian Beale was convinced the culprit would come and find him before he found him out
Dramatic showdown: Dean Wicks took Nancy Carter hostage, but her father Mick managed to save the day
Playing the hero: Mick Carter stopped his brother Dean from burning down the infamous Queen Vic pub
Seeking retribution after the Carter family reported him to the police for raping his brother Mick's wife Linda Carter, Dean planned to set fire to The Queen Vic and burn their business to the ground.
Luckily, Mick arrived just in time to confront his brother, knocking him to the ground and leaving him for dead outside the pub.
And viewers also saw Kathy Beale make a surprise return from the dead, arranging a secret meeting with Phil Mitchell.
Last seen in 2000 before disappearing to South Africa, it was believed that Kathy had been killed in a car crash.
It wasn't all doom and gloom, however, since new life was welcomed to the Square in the form of Kim Fox's baby.
The dramatic live birthing scenes saw the character go into premature labour in the pub toilets, giving birth to a healthy baby girl – named Pearl – as the wedding party-goers waited anxiously outside.
Viewers were also treated to a hilarious showdown between Sonia Fowler and Kat Slater, which saw a hopelessly intoxicated Kat slam her rival's face down in Ian and Jane's wedding cake.
Better luck this time: Actress Jo Joyner sailed through her live lines following Wednesday's accidental slip-up, which saw her refer to Ian by the actor's real name, Adam
Showdown: In a more humorous scene, Sonia Fowler ended up with cake on her face in last night's episode
Ten months in the making: The BBC One soap dragged out the murder mystery plotline for almost a year
Main man: Young actor Eliot Carrington (who plays Bobby) was pictured leaving the EastEnders studio following the revelation that he killed Lucy
'After all the plot twists, the unmasking of Lucy Beale's killer was an epic fail'... CHRISTOPHER STEVENS gives his verdict on EastEnders' dramatic episode
After all the plot twists, the false trails and the fake clues, the killer of Lucy Beale turned out to be a small boy in pyjamas and a bad mood. The coke-sniffing princess of Albert Square was murdered by her half-brother Bobby, and her body was hidden by stepmother Jane.
Unmasked: Lucy's 11-year-old brother Bobby was revealed as her killer in last night's semi-live show
The scriptwriters of EastEnders must have cudgelled their brains to come up with that ending, because a denouement so unsatisfying is a rare thing. In the language of Twitter, it was an 'epic fail'.
You'd have to be a space colonist on Mars to have missed all the build-up, as The Shouting Cockney Show got set to celebrate 30 non-stop years of sex, shootings and scandal in Albert Square.
Our expectations were high enough to induce altitude sickness. Britain's bookies claimed tens of millions of pounds had been wagered on more than a dozen suspects, but this week's instalments, filmed partly live, had already revealed that Lucy was murdered by someone in her own home – half-sister Cindy, dad Ian, his ex-girlfriend Denise, fiancee Jane... or, to stetch credulity beyond its limits, 11-year-old Bobby.
With an hour-and-a-half of schedules to fill, the producers spiced the anniversary episode with a few extras: Kim's baby was born two months premature in the ladies' toilet of the Queen Vic. Meanwhile, EastEnders' original cast member Gillian Taylforth as Kath made a shock return, if only for half a scene.
And Charlie Cotton getting ready to dump his dad Nasty Nick's body, until his mother Dot (the wonderful June Brown) called the police and announced she'd killed Nick herself.
With so much drama, could we even remember what we'd switched on for? Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) certainly couldn't – he was on his way over to the Vic to accuse Denise of murder, when he got sidetracked by the business with Dot.
His daughter's murder went clean out of his head. That man has the attention span of an absent-minded codfish.
The Beeb's cynical producers were convinced they had us on tenterhooks. Perhaps they were right, because viewing figures have gone through the roof this week, topping ten million.
So they decided to milk it some more. The climax of the hour-long special appeared to incriminate newly-wed Jane Beale as the killer, but an hour later the flashback episode, starring Hetty Bywater as Lucy, revealed Jane as merely the reluctant accomplice.
Finally, in the truth came out. It was Bobby wotdunnit. Now can we please all get on with our lives?
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