It’s been a week since Nancy Carter returned to EastEnders, and she didn’t come back alone!
No, we’re not talking about her brother, Lee Carter (Danny Hatchard), who turned up shortly after Nancy’s reappearance and subsequent hospital dash.
We’re talking about the bun she’s currently cooking in her oven, since revealed to be a result of Nancy offering to act as a surrogate for Lee and his unseen girlfriend, Jess.
Arriving to seek the legal counsel of little brother, Johnny (Charlie Suff), she urged ‘sausage’ to keep her jaunt to Walford a secret from their mum, Linda (Kellie Bright), but when she began experiencing pains, Johnny packed her off to the hospital in a taxi – in full view of Linda’s secret boyfriend Max Branning (Jake Wood), who rushed to tell Linda what he’d seen.
Naturally, Linda and her mum, Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe), discovered a very pregnant Nancy, and later, Lee rocked up to confirm he was the dad, though the surrogacy explanation came quickly, saving us all the awkward pondering about whether or not ‘Enders were really going there with an incest plot.
Nancy actress Maddy Hill has done the ‘Enders prop team a major solid, though, and saved them having to source a fake belly; it turns out she’s expecting her own bundle of joy in real life, and she’s having a little girl!
Appearing on a ‘Day in the Life’ on EastEnders’ Instagram, Maddy and Kellie spilled the tea on the sex of the baby when catching up in the makeup room.
‘How is she this morning?’ Kellie asked, referring to Maddy’s bump.
‘Lively!’ Maddy responded. ‘She liked her lunch.’
With all the ‘she’s’ floating around, we reckon it’s safe to assume that Maddy is carrying a little Princess!
Luckily for Maddy, her makeup call was a short one, with her little bundle of joy playing havoc with her bladder!
‘My makeup call is only half an hour. Never anything complicated. [The bump] means I’m going for a wee about every 10 minutes. I’ll probably need to go for a wee before I sit in the chair!’
As the video ended, Maddy confirmed what a good time she’s having upon her return during a car ride with Kellie and Elaine: ‘I’m loving being back.
‘Maybe there’s something joyful about playing a pregnancy, even when it’s a complicated pregnancy.
‘But yeah, it’s the most joyful iteration of Nancy that I’ve had since our first introduction.’
Kellie pointed out how ‘full circle’ the moment was: ‘I just feel like it’s gone such a big full circle.
‘Maddy’s watched me go through pregnancy. I was a year older than Maddy is now when I started this show playing her mum!
‘Now I’m going to be a grandma!’
‘So it’s been just over four years since I’ve been here last and I’m having the best time being back.
‘I’ve had I think some of the funniest times I’ve ever had at EastEnders in these first couple of weeks back.
‘So keep watching and tuning in to see what happens to Nancy next.’
EastEnders boss, Ben Wadey previously said of their return: ‘Linda Carter is one of the all time great EastEnders characters, so losing her is such a big moment to the show and we wanted to make sure we see Linda at her best in her final few months.
‘We will be welcoming Lee and Nancy back for a period in a story where I guarantee your jaws will drop when you see it.
‘We are absolutely thrilled to have Maddy and Danny back in Walford, bringing two much-loved pieces of the Carter family back together. And whilst Linda is delighted to have her children all together again, she’s got a lot to catch up on…’