EastEnders ended with Nicola Mitchell issuing an ultimatum to Penny Branning after realising her son could be the father of Penny’s baby – but fans aren’t sure a paternity drama is the real reason for her bizarre scan
20:00, 31 Mar 2026Updated 20:02, 31 Mar 2026
EastEnders’ Nicola issues ultimatum to Penny as reason for baby drama ‘unveiled'(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
EastEnders fans are sure they know the real reason Penny Branning’s baby scan suggested she was further along than she thought – but it’s not because of a paternity drama. Instead, they think that Penny might be facing a serious health issue. This comes as Nicola Mitchell issued the expecting mum with an ultimatum: get a paternity test…. or else.
During Tuesday’s episode (31 March), Penny (Kitty Castledine) debated whether or not to tell Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) that he might not really be the father of her baby and that Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) could be instead. After a run in with Vinny’s mother Suki (Balvinder Sopal), Penny confided in Harry’s mum Nicola (Laura Doddington) that the baby scan had not gone how she expected.
READ MORE: Jacqueline Jossa switches focus as ‘enough is enough’ following Dan Osborne splitREAD MORE: EastEnders airs huge pregnancy twist for Penny and reveals baby’s real father
Nicola saved Penny during a run in with Suki(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
After discovering that Harry and Penny had slept together a few months ago, Nicola pieced together that Penny could be pregnant with Harry’s child. Knowing her son was feeling a bit broody about having children, she told Penny to get a paternity test. If she didn’t, Nicola would go to the Panesars and tell them everything.
Fans loved seeing Penny and Nicola interact, with some saying Laura Doddington “stole the show” with her scenes. “Nicky Mitch totally stole the show for me today,” said one fan. “The way she can go from caring to menacing in a minute, is a real skill. I have a feeling Laura Doddington may be one of the cast put forward for a NTA nomination this year.”
Another added that Nicola was an “icon” while a third said Laura and Kitty worked “brilliantly together. They said: “I loved the scenes between Penny and Nicola today. Kitty and Laura work brilliantly together and it was great to see that different dynamic. I think they’d be a great mother in law/daughter in law combination in another life, but Harry belongs with Gina.”
However, other fans suggested that the baby’s bigger size could be explained by a health issue rather than the paternity drama Penny is currently caught up in.
Penny is facing a pregnancy drama(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
“Still hoping the baby will be Vinny’s and Penny has gestational diabetes, which would explain the baby being larger,” said a fan. gestational diabetes is a temporary form of high blood sugar that can develop during pregnancy when the hormones block insulin function. It can make babies larger, and can also cause a premature birth and lead to Type 2 diabetes developing in the mother.
A second fan felt the diabetes idea made sense, especially as executive producer Ben Wadey promised a series “red herrings” leading up to the New Year’s Day special, in which Penny’s child will feature. “I really hope so and that this is all a red herring by Wadey to throw us off,” the fan said before adding: “The diabetes thing would make sense too.”
On New Year’s Day 2026, EastEnders aired a special flashforward episode that took place in 2027. In it, Penny’s father Jack (Scott Maslen) was looking after a baby called Ethan. Fans have suspected that this baby is Penny’s, though many have wondered why Jack is looking after the child.
Some have wondered if Penny dies after giving birth to Ethan, as she was not seen at all in the episode. But others have wondered if this is also a red herring and if someone else will die, whilst Penny is either in hospital or goes off the rails. The death theory is that Vinny will die, but if this is the case, it relies on Vinny being the father.
One fan said: “Penny dying is a red herring. We can see that if Penny were to die no way would Vinny leave his child with Jack. But what I can see is Vinny dying, Penny not being able to cope and leaving baby Ethan with Jack.”
Another said: “I have a feeling it’s not Penny that dies, but Vinny. Her support is taken away from her because he is caught in the crossfire between Ravi and the drug lord which was ultimately okayed by Jack.
“Penny falls into a deep depression leaving Jack to take care of Ethan. I think the downfall of Ravi will really begin when his brother dies and he is excommunicated from the Panesar family for good. The final nail will be finding out Max has been sleeping with a pregnant Priya, prompting him to kidnap his children.”
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