EastEnders spoilers follow.

Stuart Highway turned physically violent with friend Sonia Fowler after revealing his male breast cancer diagnosis in EastEnders.

Tuesday's episode (December 7) picked up in the direct aftermath of Stuart being told by his doctor about his cancer, as he angrily threatened his physician before storming out.

Stuart continued on in complete denial by turning up at the Vic to get continually more drunk throughout the night. Sonia noticed his stupor and started to worry for him.

eastenders, sonia, stuart
BBC

Sonia eventually took Stuart home and tried to get him to drink some water to sober up, before he made the connection that Sonia's mum Carol Jackson had breast cancer several years ago.

His questions led Sonia to incorrectly assume Rainie must have breast cancer, but Stuart tearfully explained he was the one to receive the diagnosis.

As Sonia urged him not to ignore his health, Stuart turned angry and shoved her against the wall while ordering Sonia to tell no-one what he'd admitted.

Stuart immediately recoiled in horror at what he'd done, while Sonia froze against the wall in fear over her friend's physical outburst.

eastenders, stuart
BBC

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it! I don't know what's happening to me anymore," he sobbed.

The duff-duff aired over Sonia considering what to do next, while Stuart wept in the opposite corner of the room.

This episode is the beginning of an extended storyline where EastEnders has collaborated with Macmillan Cancer Support to raise awareness and support for those with male breast cancer.

Dany Bell, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said this week: "It's brilliant to see EastEnders release this very important and poignant storyline. We hope it encourages people to become more aware of the signs of breast cancer, regularly check their own chests and reach out for help if needed.

eastenders, sonia
BBC

"Macmillan is here to offer advice and support to anyone impacted by the storyline and we encourage anyone experiencing signs or symptoms of cancer to visit their GP."

EastEnders airs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One.

Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage


If you would like more information or support about living with cancer or treatment, please click here for guidance from Macmillan Cancer Support, or click here to learn more from Stand Up to Cancer.

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Justin Harp

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