Alfie receives a shock when he confides in Michael

Alfie remains deeply paranoid over his fears that Kat is still having her affair, but he tries to focus on the last-minute preparations for the Christmas market. Kat can see how much he is struggling although she isn't sure why, so when Alfie snaps, all she can do is encourage him to have a rest. Soon afterwards, Alfie's fears grow when he sees Kat on the phone and is later unable to find her. He asks Kat for an explanation when she reappears, but isn't convinced by what she tells him.

Unsure of what to do, Alfie confides in Michael about his concerns but is shocked to realise that his cousin has known about the affair for quite some time. Alfie doesn't get the chance to quiz Michael further as Fatboy drags him outside, where Kat has arranged for everyone to be present to watch Alfie turn the Christmas lights on.

When Alfie looks at the top of the tree, he is surprised to spot a brand new star there. Kat explains that it wasn't easy, but she managed to get it for him. As Alfie turns the lights on, Kat expresses delight that everything is perfect - but Alfie knows deep down that things are far from perfect…

Meanwhile, Jack arrives home to find Sharon desperately searching the flat for her pills. When Jack confronts her, Sharon confesses that she just wants one tablet to calm her nerves ahead of Lola's court case. Jack lies that he got rid of the pills, so Sharon declares that she isn't prepared to be in another controlling relationship. As Jack finally hands the tablets over, he points out that he isn't trying to control Sharon but simply cares about her.

Later, when Derek pays a visit to Jack's place, he finds Sharon's pills on the table along with a written apology. Jack is then forced to reveal Sharon's secret to Derek. As Derek points out that Sharon's problem could jeopardise Lexi's case if anybody found out, Jack warns him to keep this to himself…

Elsewhere, Lauren is feeling more hopeful about Joey after Lucy told her that he is in love with someone else. However, Joey continues to snub Lauren, declining to join her at the Christmas lights switch-on and reminding her that they should stay away from each other. Lauren struggles to contain her emotions as she remains heartbroken.

Also today, Tanya snaps at Derek but soon regrets it as she knows he is holding all the cards, Max tells Derek that he is worried about Tanya's cancer scan tomorrow and adds that "the other lot" aren't making things easy for him at the moment, while Ian continues his rivalry with Denise but also sees her vulnerable side when she confesses that she feels lonely at Christmas.

Copyright: BBC