Danny Dyer took his final breaths as character Mick Carter in the explosive Christmas Day special of EastEnders.
The character was killed off in true soap style as he attempted to save ex-wife Linda’s life after she and Janine Butcher drove off a cliff and into the English Channel.
His heroic act came after Mick learned the truth about wife Janine’s recent scandal and confessed his love for Linda, before dramatically exiting the show in a nail-biting finale.
Mick’s death came as he, Janine and Linda all came head-to-head in an explosive finale at the White Cliffs Of Dover – after learning that Janine was responsible for the car crash that Linda took the blame for in previous episodes.
In a dramatic car chase, Janine attempted to escape her husband and his ex-wife as they tried to make her pay for her crimes, driving quickly away.
But not letting her get away, Linda jumped into the passenger seat and wrestled with Janine for the steering wheel – leading to them losing control of the car and rearing off the side of a cliff, into the English Channel.
Following behind was Mick, who got out of his car and made a jump into the water to rescue them after realising what had happened.
The duo were submerged in water and trapped in Janine’s car, before Mick managed to rescue Janine and take her back to land, before jumping back in for Linda.
But unbeknownst to Mick, Linda was already out of the water and had made her way to land, leaving a struggling Mick nowhere to be seen in the water.
The Christmas dinner took a quick turn as Janine’s daughter Scarlett comes clean about the car crash – outing her mum as the culprit.
‘She’s lying, she was driving your car when it crashed. She came to pick you [Linda] up. Linda, you called the vic and talked to mum,’ exclaimed the youngster.
While Janine attempted to brush off the truth by claiming her daughter ‘isn’t well’, but couldn’t keep up with her own lies.
Beginning to piece things together, Mick demanded to know whether Janine was in the car with Linda when she crashed – before discovering that she was, in fact, the one driving.
Turning to Janine, Linda questioned: ‘Did you move me? When they found me, I was in the drivers seat. She must’ve put me there to make it look like it was me.
She then leaped at Janine in attack as things took a violent turn, leaving Mick in shock as he processed the situation.
After the dramatic meal, Mick chatted with Linda in private and confessed his love for her despite being married to Janine.
Turning to his ex-wife, he admitted: ‘It’s you, it’s always been you. i’ve known it all along, I just couldn’tface it. Every single day I have tried to convince myself that I loved Janine but it’s you. I’ve loved you all along. And now i’m married to her, please forgive me.’
Over the moon with the news, Linda replied: ‘Of course I forgive you, this is not your fault, I love you.
Mick asked if he and Linda could try things again, with the latter replying: ‘Yes, that’s all I ever wanted, you’re the love of my life, No one else has ever come close, no one.’
Sharing a kiss, the pair then agreed: ‘We’re never gonna be apart again’.
Going back to reality from the sweet moment, it was time for Mick to tell Janine that their marriage was over as he decided to make her pay for her actions.
Heading into their bedroom, Mick said to Janine: ‘You lied to me. to me, your husband. You honestly think i want to be with you now? I was gonna give up everything for you and for what? I don’t love you, I never loved you, i want you out of my sight. You disgust me.’
Throwing a travel bag at her, the landlord insisted that she pack her things as Linda called the police, with Mick telling Janine: ‘You’re going to prison, do you understand me? You’ve made your bed, and now you’re gonna lie in it.’
Janine then took off with her passport to escape, as Mick and Linda set off to chase her.
Driving on a narrow road alongside Janine, Mick attempted to convince her to oull the car over before both cars came to a stop at a dead end.
‘It’s over, get out of the car,’ he told his wife as Linda called the police from the remote location.
Janine punches Mick in the head as he falls to the ground before she gets into her car and drives away, with Linda jumping into the passenger seat to try and stop her.
The pair wrestle over the steering wheel as Janine attempts to drive away, losing control of the car as the whole vehicle falls off of the cliff’s edge and into the sea.
Underneath the water, Janine and Linda are then jammed in the car and submerged in water as they battle to get out – before Mick discovers that they have fallen in and jumps out to save them.
Diving down, he manages to open the car and get Janine out of the car, saving her as he swims up and brings her onto land.
But going back to look for Linda, a struggling Mick jumps back in to save her – without knowing that she has already managed to make her way out of the water alone.
Linda joins Janine back on land and searches for Mick, screaming for him before breaking into fits of tears as he is nowhere to be seen.
