EastEnders fans have been left gobsmacked as Nancy and Lee Carter returned to Walford during the latest episode of the BBC One soap opera.
During Monday's (October 5) episode, Nancy (Maddy Hill) turned up to Albert Square seeking legal advice from her brother Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff). During their chat, she doubled over with pain in her stomach and was sent straight to hospital.
Pregnancy secret revealed
Her pregnancy secret was revealed when she came face-to-face with her mum, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). Nancy told Linda: "Mum, look, it's complicated. I came to see Johnny, not you. This isn’t what you think it is, and I can’t deal with you right now."
After sending her mother away from the ward, Nancy had a change of heart later in the episode. She was heard telling someone on the phone about wanting to tell Linda the truth, before the mysterious caller is revealed to be her brother Lee Carter (Danny Hatchard).
Fans react to bombshell
The pair then revealed to a gobsmacked Linda they are the parents of the unborn tot, with Lee admitting: "It’s me. The baby is mine", leaving fans gobsmacked and predicting a twist.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan penned: "Nancy is either a surrogate for Lee or there's some sort of adoption storyline going on where Nancy has agreed to carry the baby for someone else ( because she doesn't want kids of her own) and Lee has agreed to raise the baby as his own?"
Another added: "Nancy & Lee. Not thinking the worst (incest) but wondering could it be surrogacy? #Eastenders." A third person said: "WTF was that ending what do you mean Lee is Nancy baby daddy? #Eastenders."
Returns and backstories
Someone else agreed: "I mean they weren't lying when they said Nancy and Lee are back for a story that will leave our jaws on the floor." It was revealed earlier this year that the siblings were returning to Walford.
Previously speaking on her return, Maddy said: "I am SO excited to be returning to Enders for a short stint and stepping back into Nancy’s shoes (or basketball shorts!). I’ve missed her! I'm especially looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and acting alongside my incredible on-screen family."
Danny added: "I'm absolutely over the moon to be returning to EastEnders as Lee Carter. Albert Square has always felt like a home away from home, so I’m proper buzzing to be back grafting with the Enders family."
Their characters have made their comebacks after leaving to start new lives in 2022. Lee struggled with severe depression, overwhelming debt, and the guilt of orchestrating a robbery at the Vic, so he abandoned his wife Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) and fled to Dover in 2020. While Nancy left Walford after the breakdown of her relationship with Zack Hudson (James Farrar), who cheated on her with Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalfe).
Addressing the big returns, executive producer Ben Wadey added: "We are absolutely thrilled to have Maddy and Danny back in Walford, bringing two much-loved pieces of the Carter family back together. And whilst Linda is delighted to have her children all together again, she’s got a lot to catch up on."
Fans will have to wait and see if Nancy is really carrying Lee's child or if there's another twist set to be revealed. EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am.
