EastEnders confirms staggering Nicola twist after she kills family member

The following article contains spoilers from the episode of EastEnders dated October 1. It hasn’t aired on BBC One yet, but can be viewed on BBC iPlayer.

EastEnders has confirmed what secret Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) and Ned Hawkins (Jamie Bamber) are hiding – and it’s huge.

Ned arrived in Walford a few weeks ago alongside the rest of Nicola’s family. He is the husband of Nicola’s sister Gemma (Patricia Potter), and dad to Ryder (Felix Uff).

Upon first impression, Ned seemed like a kind and chilled man. As time ticked on though, viewers got a sense that there was a darkness laying beneath the surface.

‘It’s clear that Ned and Nicola know each other extremely well, but there’s also something unspoken between them,’ star Jamie Bamber previously said.

‘There’s a fascinating push-and-pull dynamic at play.’

‘You get the sense that there’s something that binds them together just as strongly as something keeps them apart. There are secrets and a history that neither of them is willing to talk about openly. Over time, viewers will discover exactly what lies behind that complicated relationship.’

This week, Nicola remained stressed about the finances for Harry’s Barn.

Ned decided to step in and provide the money Nicola needs to save the business, but told her that he wants to be co-owner in return.

Nicola was reluctant to accept Ned’s help, but she knew there was no other option. That evening, the two characters spoke about honesty, and Nicola wondered whether Ned had been honest with Gemma about how he helped cover up how their dad died.

It was then revealed that Nicola ran her father’s car into a ditch, and that Ned has assisted in hiding the truth this whole time.

Nicola previously told George Knight (Colin Salmon) that she walked in on her dad attacking her mum and ordered him to leave, knowing that he was too drunk to drive. She said that his car flipped and killed him, but of course failed to mention that she drove his car off the road.

Ned and Nicola’s dynamic is complex and dark. Will Ned use this secret to his advantage to get what he wants in the future?

Are the characters hiding anything else about their past?