EastEnders Exposes Craig Ingram's Grooming of Amy Mitchell

Amy Mitchell falsely takes responsibility for blackmailing Denzel Fox-Danes in EastEnders to protect Craig Ingram, the former police officer who has been grooming her. In episodes released on BBC iPlayer on October 19 and 20, 2026, Craig manipulates Amy into lying to her father, Jack Branning, while preparing to leave Walford with her and pursuing access to her £100,000 inheritance.

The storyline escalates after Craig discovers that Denzel, Amy's former boyfriend, has visited his flat. According to episode coverage published by Radio Times and Yahoo News, Craig takes Amy's phone, finds an intimate photograph Denzel sent her, and pressures her to encourage him to send more images. Craig saves the pictures and uses them to demand £1,000 from Denzel.

Denzel struggles to raise the money and turns to his friend Nugget for help. Their attempt to steal cash from the Minute Mart fails when Yolande catches them, forcing Denzel to explain his predicament. He eventually sells an expensive gold signet ring given to him by his father, Howie, to meet Craig's demand.

However, Craig sends the photographs to Howie and Denzel's stepmother, Kim Fox-Danes, despite receiving the money. The disclosure devastates Denzel and forces him to explain why he sold the family gift. His attempt to protect Amy and resolve the blackmail ends with his private images reaching his family.

Craig then turns his attention to avoiding exposure. With Jack investigating the blackmail, Craig persuades Amy to claim that she targeted Denzel herself. He threatens to leave if she refuses, exploiting her fear of losing him.

Amy subsequently approaches Jack at the police station and falsely admits responsibility. She claims she wanted revenge because Denzel had previously mocked her scars, prompting disgust from both Jack and Denzel. Jack, who has already covered up Amy's violent attack on Joel Marshall, orders her to tell Denzel the truth about her supposed actions.

Craig's manipulation continues even after Amy accepts the blame. When she asks what they will do next, he says he still needs to disappear from Walford. Amy then reveals that she has a £100,000 trust fund established by her maternal grandfather, Archie Mitchell, which she is due to inherit when she turns 18 in November.

According to Metro's October 20 episode preview, Craig is unwilling to wait until Amy reaches the required age. Amy promises to find a way to obtain the money early, giving Craig another reason to keep her under his influence.

Meanwhile, Jack struggles to understand his daughter's behavior. His wife, Denise Fox, is receiving treatment for acute myeloid leukemia and initially does not know the extent of Amy's involvement with Craig. Denise believes Amy has found a new boyfriend and encourages her to put things right after Amy admits she has made a serious mistake.

Radio Times reports that Denise's advice unintentionally contributes to Amy's false confession. Jack remains unaware of the full extent of Craig's influence when Amy first takes the blame, leaving the family vulnerable to further manipulation.

In previews published by Digital Spy and AOL, the story develops further as Amy disappears from Walford with Craig. Jack learns that his daughter has left after his son Oscar reveals seeing her prepare to depart with the former officer. Jack races after them but arrives too late, prompting him to seek help from his police colleagues.

Jack and his brother, Max Branning, subsequently break into Craig's flat to search for clues. Jack tries to shield Denise from the disappearance because of her illness, but Darnell eventually tells her that Amy is missing. Jack then has to explain Craig's involvement, leaving Denise devastated.

The upcoming episodes also place Jack under increasing pressure as he attempts to locate Amy and determine what happened. Metro's preview for October 21 indicates that Amy is trying to access her inheritance while Jack begins to suspect that Craig is responsible for her sudden change in behavior.

EastEnders has developed the grooming storyline with support from Barnardo's and End Violence Against Women, according to Digital Spy and Yahoo News. The series airs Monday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on BBC One, with episodes available earlier on BBC iPlayer, where they generally become available at 6 a.m.