Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) stumbles across a shocking secret concerning Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) in EastEnders next week.
Over this last year we’ve seen the hard man’s mental health decline after the breakdown of his marriage to Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and incarceration of son Ben (Max Bowden).
Nicola’s discovery will signal in a new storyline for Phil, as we see him suffering from suicidal thoughts over the Christmas period.
In upcoming scenes, she’s making preparations for the grand re-opening of Peggy’s bar, which she recently bought from Phil and has renamed Harry’s Barn.
Her ex-husband Teddy was planning on being the new owner, but Nicola managed to sweep in with a more substantial offer.
Luckily he’s managed to move on (very quickly), and finally made a move on Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean). After spending the night together, the pair have agreed to open up to their exes.
However, after hearing about the new woman on Teddy’s arm, Nicola decides to do some meddling.
With the Mitchell clan gathering at the bar for the launch party, he warns his ex-wife against doing anything she might regret. Little does he know, by this point, she’s already reached out to Phil to try and involve him in her scheme.
Given everything else going on in his life, he’s decided to turn down her request but Nicola remains determined to get on board. She heads over to his house and is taken aback by what she finds…
What is Phil hiding? He quickly orders her out, whilst she promises to keep everything a secret – but can’t help spilling to Sharon.
Later in the week, Nicola attempts to manipulate Sharon with what she knows in the hope it drives a wedge between her and Teddy.
It’s evident that she still has eyes for her ex-hubby, and is going to do whatever it takes to win him back.
Sharon calls by to speak with Phil, who is adamant that Nicola has made the story up. Despite his protesting, she can see that something is wrong.
Elsewhere, Nicola stirs the pot further and tells Teddy she’s a changed woman and that she wants them to reunite. She then keeps mounting pressure on Phil, which infuriates Sharon.
The confrontation makes him feel more isolated from the rest of his family, and Jay (Jamie Borthwick) clocks his unease. Phil is less than impressed when he tries to dig for information.
What is Phil hiding?
