6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Penny Branning pregnancy twist as Nicola Mitchell goes into premature labour
Patrick is asked to record a video statement, Ross is suspicious of Vicki and Ian and Elaine are warring - again!
There's double baby drama in EastEnders next week, as both Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) and Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) face surprises with their pregnancies.
For Penny, she's gobsmacked to realise that the dates don't align with Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) being her child's father, and that Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) is likely to be the baby daddy instead! When Nic realises this, she blackmails her into doing a DNA test.
The stress of the situation clearly takes its toll on Nicola, as she begins to suffer contractions and later gives birth prematurely.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Fisher's (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) trial weighs heavily over her family, and Vicki Fowler's (Alice Haig) love triangle is reborn.
Here's everything that's happening in EastEnders between Monday, 30th March and Thursday, 2nd April.
6 EastEnders spoilers for next week
1. Penny Branning discovers the real father of her unborn baby
Penny and Vinny excitedly prepare for their first baby scan, but the moment is overshadowed when Vinny takes a call from a potential investor for Penny’s shop, leaving him quietly uneasy.
Keen to prove himself, he agrees to meet the mysterious backer, promising he’ll join Penny later - despite Priya Nandra-Hart's (Sophie Khan Levy) pointed warning about getting mixed up with the wrong people.
Left to attend the scan alone, Penny is stunned to learn the baby is further along than expected. However, she decides to keep this from Vinny and instead confides in Lauren Beale (Jaqueline Jossa) and Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier). She's scared that the timeline means the baby might actually be Harry's!
Though she initially dodges the truth and clings to the hope that the scan is wrong, Penny eventually admits she slept with him on the day he entered a detox clinic. To make matters worse, tensions rise between Penny and Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal) over Vinny’s efforts to secure funding for the Turpin Road shop, and Nicola is forced to step in and split the women up.
She's got wind that Harry was intimate with Penny last year, and with suspicions rising, Nicola issues a stark ultimatum to take a DNA test, or she’ll tell Vinny and Harry everything.
The next day, after Nicola doubles down on her demand, a distraught Penny turns to Lauren and Oscar for advice before finally confronting her.
2. Nicola Mitchell goes into premature labour
George is on edge as the launch of the new restaurant venture, Knight Fusion, approaches, but his focus soon shifts when Harry notices Nicola’s distracted behaviour. Quietly worried after not feeling the baby move, Nicola confides in him.
Though she’s reluctant to alarm Harry, George Knight (Colin Salmon) and Gina Knight (Francesca Henry) insist on accompanying her to the hospital, where she’s reassured that the baby is fine.
However, the tension takes its toll - after a heated exchange with Penny, Nicola is struck by waves of pain. Dismissing Harry’s pleas to get checked out, she heads home to rest, but something is still seriously wrong.
With guests arriving at Knight Fusion, George grows concerned when Nicola fails to show, and he rushes home to find her collapsed on the floor in agony.
At the hospital, Nicola voices her fears about a premature birth, and when complications arise, she is rushed into an emergency caesarean, delivering a baby girl.
But the ordeal is far from over, as flu symptoms and bleeding force Nicola into isolation, leaving her devastated and unable to be with her newborn. In a poignant moment, George meets his newborn daughter for the first time through the glass of the NICU incubator.
Speaking about the story, executive producer Ben Wadey said: "This storyline follows Nicola and George as they navigate the challenges and shared concerns of neonatal care with their premature baby, and the impact it has on them and their families.”
Annelies Hopkins, Information and Support Manager at the charity Bliss, added: "As the UK’s leading charity representing babies born premature or sick, and their families, we were grateful to be consulted on this important EastEnders storyline, which shines a light on the unexpected, distressing and often traumatic experience of having a baby in neonatal care."
3. Jasmine Fisher's trial causes more upset
Ahead of Jasmine's trial, it's clear that her friends and family are struggling. Her twin brother Josh begins to pull away from their mum Zoe, instead seeking comfort in spending time with Patrick.
But when the CPS request a video statement from Patrick for Jasmine’s trial, the Truemans are left questioning whether it’s too much to ask of him.
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
Tensions rise further when an insensitive remark from Kim about Jasmine leaves Josh deeply upset, prompting him to consider whether it’s finally time to reconnect with his twin sister.
What will Patrick and Josh do?
4. There's sexual tension between Vicki Fowler and Zack Hudson
A charged moment between Vicki and Zack Hudson (James Farrar) doesn’t go unnoticed by Mark (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), who is left questioning whether there’s still something simmering beneath the surface.
Although Zack turns down Vicki’s offer to move in due to his financial struggles, an emotional goodbye with son Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman) leaves him reconsidering his decision. He's now firmly on his own.
Later, Ross clocks a tense exchange between the pair, and although she brushes it off as a conversation about money worries, the undeniable chemistry between her and Zack suggests there’s far more at play.
Will Ross realise that Zack was the man she had the one-night stand with?
5. Elaine Peacock clashes with Ian Beale - again!
Elaine Peacock’s (Harriet Thorpe) hopes of relaunching herself are dealt a blow when her campaign plans are thrown into chaos by a venue mix-up. Convinced she’s missed her chance to prove herself, she’s comforted by ex-hubby George.
He steps in with a generous offer to host her event at Knight Fusion, free of charge.
Seizing the opportunity, Elaine wastes no time in flaunting the arrangement - particularly in front of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), which sparks a heated clash between the pair... again.
Will they ever be able to put their issues to one side?
6. Billy Mitchell confronts Bea Pollard
Bea Pollard (Ronni Ancona) has massively outstayed her welcome at the Mitchell residence, and Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) is still not entirely convinced that having her under his roof is a good thing for the family.
When he confronts her over her excessive spending, it backfires spectacularly. He's left feeling humiliated and none the wiser about where they stand.
Read more:
- EastEnders confirms Holby City legend cast in pivotal role alongside Zoe Slater's long-lost son for trial storyline
- EastEnders reveals why Clare Bates is estranged from Nigel as she returns after 18 years in BBC iPlayer release
- EastEnders' Max Branning makes reckless move to show commitment to Linda Carter in early BBC iPlayer release
Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
