EastEnders fans will see Stacey Slater’s mental health deteriorate next week, forcing the desperate Slaters to rally round her and Lily before it’s too late.

With Mo and Jean away, and Stacey locked away in her bedroom day after day, teenage mum Lily reaches breaking point, unable to cope alone. Will the Slaters find a way to help mother and daughter get back on their feet after losing Martin?

“Stacey’s mental state is in a worrying place,” explains our Walford insider. “She’s shut herself away from the world, but Lily urgently needs her mum.”

The trouble begins when Mo and Jean head out of Albert Square, and Stacey refuses to leave her bedroom. With Lily and Freddie in charge of running No.31, the responsibility takes its toll on stressed Lily – but she lies to Kat and Eve, pretending everything is fine.

However, the truth about the chaos at home emerges when Freddie realises Lily is bunking off school to do chores. Telling Kat how bad things have become, Freddie begs for her help.

“Kat can’t believe the state of the Slater household,” says our source. “But her biggest concern is Stacey and how severely grief is affecting her. If she can’t look after herself, what happens to Lily and Charli?”

Taking charge, Kat orders a family meeting and summons Alfie, Eve and Suki. They put together a childcare plan, but it becomes clear that Stacey might need professional help. When the mourning mum emerges, she dismisses Kat’s support and barricades herself back in the bedroom, leaving Lily distraught.

The next day, Stacey leaves the house for the first time in weeks. But when she invites everyone for a big family meal, Kat’s worried it’s too much for her to handle. At home, Stacey paints on a smile, ordering everyone to cheer up – but terror soon grips her when she realises her phone has fallen into the laundry.

“Freddie’s on the way to the laundrette,” our insider reveals, “but Stacey’s phone is in there with all her photos, texts and voicemails from Martin. It’s a race against time…”

As Stacey rushes to the laundrette, Alfie is shaken when Arthur tells him a worrying secret about his mum. Kat and Lily try to calm Stacey down, but they’re terrified she’s experiencing another bipolar episode.

When they return home, Alfie shares the information Arthur told him, but this admission causes an incident between Stacey and Lily that leaves their bond shattered. Will mum and daughter be able to forgive each other – or is their relationship damaged for good?