EastEnders’ Mick Carter gets much more than he bargained for this Christmas – when he finally learns that Dean Wicks raped his wife Linda.

And Mick (Danny Dyer) is not one to hold back when it comes to lashing out at Dean (Matt Di Angelo) and attacking him.

Mick Carter attacks Dean Wicks in EastEnder
Mick Carter attacks Dean Wicks in EastEnders on Christmas Day (BBC)

When the pub landlord finds out the truth, he launches himself at Dean and throws him across the Queen Vic, while Linda (Kellie Bright) and Shirley Carter try to stop him.

And tough geezer Danny told The Sun the punch-up had been the greatest Christmas present soap bosses could have given him and when he saw the script he kissed EastEnders’ executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins.

He said: “It was like the greatest Christmas present as an actor you can ever have.

“For me it is what I have lived for, to have the chance to show what I can do.”

Danny Dyer
(Yui Mok/PA)

Danny added: “My first reaction was to find Dom and put the lips on him because I knew he had given me a gift.

“To show every bit of range as an actor on Christmas Day in front of millions – it gave me a tingle in my spine.”

Dominic previously revealed that Danny was himself very upset by what happened to Linda, and wanted a chance for his character to lash out at rapist Dean.

He said: “He’s such a puppy, he just doesn’t like it. It just makes him sad, but also he’s Danny Dyer and he wants to smash things.”

Mick Carter beats Dean Wicks
Mick Carter beats Dean Wicks (BBC)

And there are more hard to hear home truths for Mick to come.

Because all his life he has thought Shirley (Linda Henry) is his sister. But she is in fact his mum, making Dean his half brother.

The Carter family are in for a rocky 2015 (BBC)
The Carter family are in for a rocky 2015 (BBC)

These explosive scenes will air on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One.