Sam’s exit storyline confirmed in EastEnders – and she’s not going alone

Sam Mitchell’s (Kim Medcalf) EastEnders exit storyline has finally been confirmed, and it looks like she won’t be leaving Walford alone.

Next week’s episodes see Sam grow closer to her brother Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) as the family find themselves caught up in even more drama surrounding Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa), and the dodgy car lot business. And by the end of the week, Sam suggests joining Grant in Portugal when he leaves the Square.

After weeks of chaos, it seems Sam may finally be ready for a fresh start away from Walford, again.

The drama begins when Max Branning (Jake Wood) becomes more determined than ever to prove Mark is hiding something. After finding a set of missing keys, Max watches closely as Lauren takes delivery of another car before trying the keys in the door of No.55 himself.

However, Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) catches him in the act, and Max is forced to reveal his suspicions about Mark and the car scam.

It doesn’t take long for the Mitchells to get involved, with Grant, Sam and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) confronting Max and dismissing his claims. But Max refuses to let things go, especially after everything that’s happened over the past few weeks involving stolen cars, financial trouble and Mark’s mysterious disappearance.

Things soon explode publicly during the unveiling of the car lot’s new name.

In front of everyone, Max and Cindy reveal they believe Mark is responsible for everything and claim they finally have proof. But in a huge shock, Grant suddenly steps in and confesses and insists he was behind it all, not Mark.

The confession leaves everyone stunned.

Cindy immediately accuses Grant of lying to protect Mark, while Max threatens to call the police as tensions rise even further.

With the pressure building, Sam starts thinking seriously about leaving Walford behind. After seeing Grant struggle with everything happening around the family, she suggests joining him in Portugal when he leaves.

It’s a big moment for the pair, especially given their long and complicated history over the years.

Fans know Sam has never stayed away from Albert Square for too long, but this exit already feels more emotional than some of her previous departures. Rather than storming off after another family fallout, this time it seems she genuinely wants a clean break from all the drama.