EastEnders teases a BIG secret for one character

*This article contains spoilers for tonight's (Thursday, July 11) episode of EastEnders on BBC iPlayer and is yet to air on TV*

EastEnders has teased a BIG secret for one iconic character - who's clearly up to no good.

Ian Beale has been taking mysterious phone calls and sneaking about, as well as lying to son Peter and partner Cindy about what he's up to.

But what's he hiding?

And who's he planning to meet?

In the first of tonight's double episodes, Ian gets a mysterious text message asking him to meet tomorrow.

And he immediately backtracks on his plans to spend time with Peter, planning son Bobby's 21st birthday celebrations.

He tells him he's got to catch up with Cindy instead, because they're working on rebranding the pie shop.

Peter, though, realises his dad's hiding something, and when mum Cindy tells him they have no plans for rebranding, he's even more suspicious.

So he and Cindy march off to the pie shop to confront Ian about what he's up to.

Ian announces he's decided to run for Walford Council again and he's got a meeting about it the following day. He says he didn't want to tell his family because it wasn't a done deal yet.

Hmm.

Cindy's happy with that explanation, but Peter's not satisfied. Especially when in the second of tonight's episode, Ian heads off to his 'meeting' at the crack of dawn, and doesn't return for ages.

Suspicious, Peter gets on the phone to Walford Council, hoping to find out more about this meeting...

Later, Cindy and Ian have dinner and Ian tells her the meeting was about raising campaign funds and marketing strategies. He's clearly surprised when Cindy tells him she's 'backing Beale' and she thinks it's all a great idea.

Even when Ian says he's going to a leadership course in Manchester she's supportive.

Until she discovers she's not invited. Then she warns Ian that he'd better not be up to something.

Viewers are already convinced Ian's been chatting to ex-wife Jane. And it's her he's off to meet.

"If Ian's phone call doesn't pertain to Jane," one fan wrote on social media, "I don't want whatever this secret is."

While another said: "When I watch EastEnders tomorrow, I expect to see Ian and Jane together."

Meanwhile Peter tells his dad that he knows he's not running for election, and demands to know what Ian is up to.

"There is something going on," Ian admits. "And you're not going to like it."

But what is Ian's secret?!

EastEnders airs tonight at 8.15pm and 8.45pm on BBC One. Check our TV Guide for more information.