EastEnders' Anna Knight spiked in horrifying scenes as bosses confirm soap 'first'

EastEnders' Anna Knight, portrayed by Molly Rainford, is set to face a horrifying ordeal as her drink gets spiked in distressing scenes.

In an episode scheduled for Tuesday, July 16, Anna finds herself in peril when her drink is tampered with during a night out at Peggy's.

Initially, her friends attribute her erratic behaviour to alcohol, overlooking the incident. However, it soon becomes evident that her actions are disproportionate to the small amount of alcohol she has consumed, causing concern among her loved ones.

In an unprecedented twist and a digital first for EastEnders, viewers will be able to access an exclusive five-part mini-series via a QR code. This code will appear within the main episode, directing the audience to a link where they can choose their preferred viewing platform, reports the Daily Star.

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The digital series promises a unique perspective, allowing viewers to witness the incident from both Anna's viewpoint and that of her friends, as confirmed by the BBC soap.

They BBC soap explained: "As Anna grapples with her detachment from reality, viewers of the mini-series will experience the internal warning signs to look out for when spiked, whereas additional footage captured by Anna's friends will showcase the outward effects the drugs have on her behaviour and mobility."

EastEnders has teamed up with the prominent charities Stamp Out Spiking and WithYou, as well as field experts, to ensure their new spiking storyline is depicted with utmost accuracy and sensitivity.

Chris Clenshaw, the soap's Executive Producer, shared his thoughts on the plot: "With incidents of spiking rising at alarming rates across the UK in recent years, we chose to explore this issue with Anna Knight who represents the demographic most affected by spiking."

He emphasised the importance of collaboration with relevant organisations to deliver a truthful and sensitive narrative, praising Molly Rainford's portrayal: "It was imperative for us to work alongside organisations to accurately present, and sensitively portray this storyline, and Molly's [Rainford] performance has thoughtfully demonstrated the dangerous realities of spiking as we look to raise awareness of the warning signs and symptoms to look out for after an individual has been spiked."

Dawn Dines, CEO and Founder of Stamp Out Spiking, expressed her support: "EastEnders is a wonderful vehicle to drive the safeguarding message and with its huge popularity amongst a wide range of the public, it will help inspire conversations to help protect men and women being targeted."

She also highlighted the role of education in preventing such incidents and expressed delight at the charity's involvement: "Education is key to preventing these incidents. Stamp Out Spiking are delighted to have taken part in bringing the essential storyline to the screen."

The episode featuring Anna will be broadcast on Tuesday 16th July, and viewers can delve deeper into the story through a five-part mini-series available on EastEnders' official TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook channels, accessible via a QR code shown in the episode.

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

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