Sally Dexter says EastEnders is set for Wild West showdown

Sally Dexter says 'EastEnders' is set for a Wild West style showdown.

The 62-year-old star's character Faith Dingle hasn't told her son Cain (Jeff Hordley) about the return of her breast cancer, and he thinks she's being drunk and disorderly, while her drinking has been numbing her pain.

Next week, Faith will host a birthday party at The Woolpack to try and break the heartbreaking news to Cain, but the plan backfires when he storms in and says he wants her to "drop dead" before she opens up about her incurable diagnosis.

Sally told the Daily Star newspaper's Hot TV column: "It's like a Western.

"The doors swing, the music stops, all the cigarettes are put out, everyone's chairs get scraped across the floor and there's absolute silence when Cain enters the room in the way that only Jeff can do. It was huge fun to film."

Sally noted her character still loves her son "unconditionally" and she hopes Faith and Cain can reconcile their relationship before her character dies.

She added: "She doesn't know really how long she has got, so every minute with him is precious, even when he's really, really awful.

"She loves him unconditionally. But she wouldn't half like it if they got back together and were friends again.

"But she wants a relationship, not a pity ship. It would be dreadful if we didn't repair it. We'd be left on a minor chord, the end of the song wouldn't be finished."

Meanwhile, Sally recently admitted she felt a "real responsibility" to tell the hard-hitting plot.

She said: "It's upsetting, but really important as a storyline, because it's more than a storyline for so many people.

"It matters to people who are going through it as well as people who will go through it. I feel a sense of real responsibility, but also a privilege to be doing this storyline."