EastEnders’ Barney Mitchell’s real dad ‘exposed’ by fans in new DNA twist
EastEnders fans are convinced they have worked out a bombshell twist for youngster Barney Mitchell after his mum Nicola's arrived in Walford earlier this week
EastEnders has thrown a curveball regarding newcomer Nicola Mitchell (played by Laura Doddington) after she made it abundantly clear that she’s no stranger to Zack Hudson (James Farrar), fuelling rampant speculation about her son Barney (Lewis Bridgeman).
Nicola rocked up to the Square earlier this week as her eldest, Harry (Elijah Holloway), was nabbed by the coppers on suspicion of murder. She managed to get Harry off the hook with a dodgy alibi, but it wasn’t long before a shocking truth came to light.
Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian) was none too pleased to see Nicola, and the former flames were soon locked in a showdown. Nicola’s fibs about swanning off to Bali to ‘find herself’ were laid bare, much to the discomfort of her youngest, Barney.
Turns out, Nicola, who botched her career as a beautician, ended up behind bars for ABH after a botch job with unlicensed lip filler. Her ex, Teddy, spilled the beans that the poor girl ended up on a drip for three days, and Nicola didn’t even have the decency to offer a refund.
But the plot thickened on Wednesday (November 13), when Nicola had a chance encounter with Zack outside The Queen Vic, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“I almost had a heart attack when I saw you at that bar,” she blurted out after he sidled up to confirm her identity. They’d had a fleeting meeting before.
“Some men are unforgettable, even after all these years,” she added flirtatiously. “You still a PT? My core ain’t been the same since you had a go at it.”
After a bit of cheeky back-and-forth, Nicola asked Zack to act as if they were strangers, given that her husband and children were nearby.
This particular scene hinted quite strongly at a past extramarital encounter between Nicola and Teddy, leading some viewers to speculate that Zack might actually be the real father of Barney.
On social platform X, speculations grew with one viewer positing: “What if Barney is Zack’s son? #EASTENDERS.”
Another seemed convinced as they questioned: “Omg is Zack Barney’s Dad? The resemblance is there # EastEnders.”
A third fan added their opinion: “There wasn’t a need to shoehorn Zack into her past unless this is a possibility.”
Echoing the sentiment, yet another viewer asserted: “Zack will be Barney’s dad.”
EastEnders airs Monday – Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC and iPlayer
