EastEnders spoilers follow for Wednesday’s (September 2) episode, which can now be streamed on BBC iPlayer. The episode in question will air at 7:30pm.

Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) was absolutely reeling when she discovered the real reason the Hawkins had landed in Walford in need of a place to stay.

The newcomers, as viewers know, rocked up in a van with all of their belongings in tow earlier, begging Nicola to let them stay at No. 1 with her.

Nicola considered it at first – until she learned that estranged mum Rose (Marian McLoughlin) was joining them, at which point she reneged on the deal.

George Knight (Colin Salmon), however, left her with food for thought and thus Nic reconsidered, telling Gemma (Patricia Potter) and Ned (Jamie Bamber) that they can stay for a short while until they get back on their feet.

But in typical EastEnders fashion, another twist followed, with Nicola discovering why the Hawkins clan had nowhere to go.

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With bills piling up, they set fire to their home as part of an insurance scam – which didn’t go as planned as they failed to secure the money. Reeling, Nicola pointed the finger at Rose but Ned reiterated that he was the one who oversaw the scheme.

Needing time to think, Nicola headed to Harry’s Barn. Ned soon followed, promising his sister-in-law that he will get his family back on their feet but he’ll need time to do that, agreeing to help out with Ivy and at the bar at a moments notice, should she require it.

He stated that the moment they can stand on their own, he’ll ensure they move out, with Nicola joking that she’ll hold him to that, agreeing once more that they can stay under her roof.

The dynamic between Nicola and ned is certainly an interesting one – one which star Jamie Bamber spoke about previously.

‘It’s clear that Ned and Nicola know each other extremely well, but there’s also something unspoken between them,’ he 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.’

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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