EastEnders has confirmed that Nancy Carter is acting as a surrogate for her brother Lee and his partner Jess, clearing up fears of an incest storyline following Monday's revelation that Lee is the father of Nancy's baby.
The bombshell, delivered by Lee (Danny Hatchard) on Monday (October 5), stunned mum Linda (Kellie Bright), who has long wanted to become a grandmother. Tuesday's episode, which aired at 7:30pm on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer, revealed the full context: Nancy (Maddy Hill) is carrying the child for Lee and Jess, who suffered multiple miscarriages while trying for a baby.
Linda's Reaction and Family Tensions
Linda struggled to process the news that her daughter was carrying her son's baby and was devastated that she had been excluded from the discussions. Tensions flared, with Nancy accusing Linda of making the situation all about herself.
Lee explained that he and Nancy were seeking legal advice from Johnny (Charlie Suff), revealing that Jess has walked out on him and blocked him on all social media platforms. Johnny told them that if Nancy does not give up her parental rights, then technically Jess need not know when the child is born.
Linda's Confession and Lee's Secret
In a bid to encourage honesty within the family, Linda decided to come clean about her relationship with Max Branning (Jake Wood). The news upset Lee and Nancy, given that Linda's previous affair with Max had essentially destroyed their parents' marriage, but they ultimately relented, determined to start afresh.
Lee, however, is keeping a big secret. Subsequent scenes showed him receiving a call from Jess, whom he told to stay away, reiterating that he wants her to have nothing to do with the baby.
The question remains whether Jess will comply with Lee's demands or arrive in Walford to be part of her baby's life. The version of events Lee told Linda evidently isn't the whole picture, suggesting more is going on than meets the eye.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or streams from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
