EastEnders actress Maddy Hill has spoken about her real-life pregnancy while her on-screen character, Nancy Carter, is also expecting a baby in the BBC soap.
In recent episodes, Nancy returned to Albert Square to seek advice from her younger brother, Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff), insisting that their mother, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), did not know about her visit. However, Nancy was discovered when she went to hospital with abdominal pain and was met by a shocked Linda and her grandmother, Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe). In a twist, Nancy was revealed to be pregnant but did not reveal the father's identity.
Surrogacy storyline revealed
Later that day, Nancy arrived at Peacock Palace with the baby's father, who turned out to be her elder brother, Lee (Danny Hatchard). It emerged that Nancy is acting as a surrogate for Lee and his partner Jess, but the couple are now separated and not on good terms. Nancy is seeking legal advice from Johnny about custody of the baby, as Lee wants to be a single parent without involvement from his ex-girlfriend.
As Hill embarks on the dramatic baby storyline, she opened up about her own pregnancy in a behind-the-scenes video marking her return to the soap after a four-year absence.
Fans react to real-life pregnancy
In the "day in the life" video posted on the EastEnders Instagram page, Hill joked that she is glad she does not have to spend long in makeup because she needs to go for a wee about "every 10 minutes" while pregnant. She then chatted with Kellie Bright, who plays her on-screen mum, and appeared to confirm she is expecting a baby girl.
Looking at Hill's bump, Bright asked: "How is she today?", prompting Hill to reply, "She's lively today". Bright added, "Oh, she's a lively one," as Hill noted that the baby liked the lunch of quiche, potato, and aubergine salad. "There's something joyful about playing a pregnancy, even when it's a complicated pregnancy," she said.
Fans responded to the video, with some saying they "didn't realise" she was pregnant. One person asked: "Is she pregnant in real life? Looks very real x." Another added: "Omg is she actually pregnant irl? Looks so real", while a third wrote: "Wahhhhhh such big congrats."
"Congratulations Maddy! Good to have Nancy back!", shared one viewer, as another echoed: "Was saying to my friend bump looks real, didn't realise it’s her real life pregnancy, congrats Maddy!" Kellie Bright also commented on the post: "I love you @maddyhill90, and I can’t wait to get my hands on that baby!!!!!"
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.
