Two EastEnders’ pregnancies turn tumultuous next week, as the true paternity of Penny Branning’s (Kitty Castledine) looks set to be revealed, while Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) goes into premature labour.

When Penny learns that her pregnancy than she thought, she’s thunderstruck to realise that the baby could be Harry Mitchell’s (Elijah Holloway) and not Vinny Panesar’s (Shiv Jalota).

When Nicola discovers what’s going on, she demands a DNA test take place, but as she goes into labour herself, has Penny evaded discovering the truth?

As George Knight (Colin Salmon) gears up for the launch of his new restaurant, Knight Fusion, Nicola tries to hide her concerns from him, but when she misses the launch party due to contractions, how will he and Nicola handle the very early arrival of their child?

Elsewhere, the Trueman family worry that the pressure the CPS are putting on Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) could break him, Zack Hudson (James Farrar) and Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) struggle to control their attraction to one another, and the war between Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) and Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) rages on.

Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan) also wonders if it’s time to reunite with twin sister Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness).

All of that left you a little thirsty? Worry not, we’re spilling all the tea in our guide to next week!

Monday, March 30

As Vinny looks to secure funding for Penny’s shop, she attends their first baby scan alone and is shaken to learn that her pregnancy is further along than expected, but keeps shtum when Vinny finally arrives.

Utterly rocked, Penny admits to Lauren and Oscar Branning (Jacqueline Jossa and Pierre Counihan-Moullier) that if the baby was conceived before New Year’s Eve, then Vinny can’t be the father, making the baby Harry’s.

Harry notices Nicola is distracted at the Knight Fusion launch, and she explains that she hasn’t felt the baby move. Harry and Gina Knight (Francesca Henry) take her to the hospital, where an anxious Nicola is told that the baby is okay.

Elsewhere, Josh is taken aback by Zoe Slater’s (Michelle Ryan) intensity while gravitating more toward Patrick, who’s family worry when the CPS request he record a video statement for Jasmine’s trial.

After trying to skirt the issue, Penny admits that she slept with Harry before he went to rehab to her cousins, but she truly believes the baby is Vinny.

When a clash with Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal) leads Nicola to spring to her defence, Vinny finds Penny with good news: he’s secured six months rent for her shop.

At the hospital, Harry admits to Nicola that he slept with Penny last year. Deeply suspicious and determined to discover the truth, Nicola tells Penny that she needs to take a DNA test and, should she decline, she’ll tell Vinny and Harry everything.

Meanwhile, Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) remains suspicious of Vicki and Zack, especially when he reconsiders her offer for him and Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman) to move in with them.

Wednesday, April 1

Struggling with the loss of a venue for her campaign, George offers Knight Fusion to Elaine. When she brags about it to Ian, the two end up in a tussle.

Nicola is laser focussed on Penny and demands she take the DNA test immediately. Penny seeks out Lauren and Oscar for help before going head to head with Nicola.

After the two trade blows, Nicola is floored by pain but, despite Harry’s protestations, refuses to go to hospital. As George celebrates the launch of Knight Fusion, Nicola is hit hard by contractions.

Also, the CPS continue to push Patrick, more bad feeling grows between Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) and Bea Pollard (Ronni Ancona), and Zack and Vicki’s sexual tension continues to crackle.

Thursday, April 2

George panics as guests flood the opening of Knight Fusion, while Nicola is notable by her absence. Heading home, Harry finds Nicola in agony.

At the hospital, Nicola is forced to undergo an emergency caesarean and gives birth to a premature baby girl. While Nicola is forced to isolate from the baby due to bleeding and flu-symptoms, George’s heart melts as he watches his little girl through an incubator.

A typically caustic remark from Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) about Jasmine wounds Josh, and he begins to think that it may be time for the twins to reunite.