Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) left big brother Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott) stunned in tonight's EastEnders (13th February), as she blurted out the news of his daughter Lily Slater's (Lillia Turner) pregnancy.

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It was confirmed last month that Ryan would be heading back to Walford for a brief stint; and in the lead-up to the character's reappearance, Lily's mum Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) was left tired and stressed as half-term began.

Lily wasn't keen to be helping out at the breakfast van, and when her aunt Whitney wandered over, she begged to help out on her clothing stall instead. Whit happily agreed while she reminded Stacey that Ryan deserved to know about Lily's situation.

Stacey was mindful of the fact that her reliable ex-husband Martin Fowler (James Bye) has been a dad to Lily for far longer than Ryan has been around, though she explained she intended to tell Ryan at some point.

At the stall, Whitney couldn't help putting thoughts of Ryan in Lily's head as she pondered whether he would want to know about her baby. But Lily ended up quizzing Stacey on Ryan and whether he was supportive before she was born, to which Stacey replied that he wasn't.

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Immediately realising that Whitney was responsible for this line of questioning, the fuming mum stormed over to see her, confronting her for what she had said to Lily. Whitney conceded that she would let Stacey tell Ryan about the baby in her own time - but with the health of Whit's own unborn baby on her mind, the situation took another turn.

When she called the hospital to chase up the results of her tests to find out if her baby may have Edwards' syndrome, Whitney was surprised to learn that a sample needed re-testing, so there would be a long wait for news. She explained this to the baby's father, Zack Hudson (James Farrar), who was supportive as he encouraged her to confide in Ryan over her worries.

Shona McGarty as Whitney Dean in EastEnders.
Shona McGarty as Whitney Dean in EastEnders. BBC

So Whitney put in a call to Ryan, where she talked about her pregnancy in general terms. When she faltered, Ryan grew concerned as he checked whether his sister was okay. But instead of revealing her own situation, she announced that Lily is also pregnant.

"Lily's what?" Ryan exclaimed, no doubt echoing the thoughts of the nation. As Ryan is set to turn up in Albert Square in the wake of this revelation, how will he deal with Lily's baby bombshell?

You can read more about Edwards' syndrome on the NHS website, or visit SOFT UK and Antenatal Results and Choices for help and support. For help, support and guidance around HIV, visit the Terrence Higgins Trust charity website.

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