EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders will introduce a new character into Aaron Monroe's far-right group storyline in the run-up to shocking Christmas scenes.
The new Walford arrival has had a disturbing impact on those around him since turning up this autumn, as he first bullied Ash Kaur and more recently desecrated the Argee Bhajee in an act of religious hatred.
This week sees him manipulating new girlfriend Tiffany Butcher into promoting his crusade against the school cancelling its nativity pageant, and the coming weeks will expose more of his extreme views.
Thus far, only Aaron's father Harvey knows about Aaron's ties to extremist groups, but sister Dana and others in the Square will soon realise the horrifying realities of what he is capable of.
As Aaron's far-right group is expected to play a major role in a bomb plot to air over the festive season, the show will introduce another member of his inner circle.
Save Me star Thomas Coombes makes his first appearance in Thursday's (December 2) EastEnders episode as Neil, an instrumental figure in Aaron's involvement in the hate movement.
It will be under Neil's orders that Aaron and others will be manipulated into carrying out unspeakable actions that will have consequences for many in Walford.
To ensure this issue-based plot is realistic, producer Jon Sen and his writers have worked with Exit UK founder Nigel Bromage and his team of former far-right members throughout the story.
"EastEnders has a history of telling challenging yet prescient stories which reflect the world," Sen has said. "Far-right thinking and ideas have been on the rise over past five years with the several communities coming under attack.
"We wanted to take a fresh look at the faulty logic of those who fall prey to the far-right ideologies and tell a powerful story about a family who have an extremist in their midst.”
EastEnders airs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage.
EastEnders has worked with Exit UK, a non-profit network of former far-right members offering help to those who want to leave far-right groups, on Aaron's storyline. If you're concerned about someone who's expressing extremist or hateful views then ACT Early has further information.
If you've been affected by racism and racist hate crime, then organisations including the Equality and Advisory Support Service (EASS), the Monitoring Group, Stand Against Racism and Inequality (SARI) and Stop Hate UK are among those which can offer help and support.
