EastEnders viewers have spotted that newcomer Emma Lau, who plays Lee Carter's estranged partner Jess Fang, previously appeared in rival soap Hollyoaks.
Jess turned up in Albert Square during the most recent episode of the BBC One soap. Fans recently saw Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) reunite with her eldest son Lee (Danny Hatchard) after his sister Nancy Carter (Maddy Hill) returned to Walford heavily pregnant, having become a surrogate for Lee and Jess.
Lee claimed that Jess had abandoned him and Nancy and no longer wanted to be involved in plans for the child, and had cut off contact. This led Linda to force Lee to join her in the search for Jess.
Jess exposes Lee's lies
Linda and Lee returned to Walford during Monday's (October 26) instalment, available on BBC iPlayer, unsuccessful in their search, only for Jess to be waiting for them in Peacock Palace.
Jess wasted no time exposing Lee's lies in front of the Carters, sharing that after Mick Carter's (Danny Dyer) death, Lee chose alcohol over their family and revoked his dad's death certificate. She made clear she still loved Lee and had hope, but the issue was whether he could admit there was a problem and seek recovery.
Linda was shocked, and after tracking Lee down to a park bench where he had fled, listened as he maintained that Jess was to blame for their issues and that he was grieving Mick but was not an alcoholic.
Fans spot the connection
However, Lee left behind a bottle of orange juice, and when Linda smelled it, she could tell it contained vodka, meaning Lee was lying and clearly did have a problem. When Linda confronted Lee, he argued with her and brought up her own struggles with alcoholism, saying they were not the same.
Following Lee and Jess' conflicting stories, and the dysfunctional situation she now found herself in, Nancy resolved that the child she was carrying shouldn't be anywhere near the couple.
EastEnders spoilers have confirmed that later this week Lee tries to repair things with Nancy, but she refuses to give up parental responsibility for the baby. As the Carters absorb Jess' revelations, Linda remains determined to help her son turn things around.
Emma Lau's previous roles
As the drama played out, fans rushed to social media to point out that they recognised the actress who plays Jess. One fan wrote: "Didn't Emma Lau star in Hollyoaks?" Someone else replied: "Yeah as Lizzie's sister." A third person said: "I knew she looked familiar." A fourth fan said: "Welcome Emma Lau who used to be in Hollyoaks." Another added: "I remember @emmachunglau from @hollyoaksofficial."
Emma played Serena Chen-Williams in the Channel 4 soap from 2021 until 2023. She originally appeared in a single episode as a love interest for Sid Sumner (Billy Price) but later returned and began reappearing as part of the first East Asian family to appear in a British soap opera.
The actress also appeared as Kiko in the 2022 Netflix film The School for Good and Evil. More recently, in 2024, Emma had a recurring role as Amelia in the Paramount+ series The Agency, and she played Beth Cope in the 2025 thriller film Past Life with Aneurin Barnard.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am.
