BBC EastEnders return ‘sealed’ for Emma Harding in baby bombshell twist as huge storyline rumbled

EastEnders fans are convinced Emma Harding – played by Patsy Kensit – will make a huge return in the coming weeks now that Phil Mitchell’s wife Kat Slater knows about his one night stand with Lola’s mum

EastEnders fans have rumbled a huge return for Emma Harding after her one night stand with Phil Mitchell was revealed.

Phil ended up sleeping with Emma – the mother of the late Lola, played by Patsy Kensit – last year and whilst Keanu and Alfie quickly found out about what happened, Phil’s wife Kat Slater has been none the wiser about her husband’s indiscretion.

However, that all changed last night when Sam Mitchell announced to a packed Queen Vic that Phil had slept with Emma, leaving Kat reeling as she was completely unaware of the betrayal.

Fans are now predicting that Emma will make her return to the Square soon, with viewers convinced she will drop a huge bombshell on Phil upon her return. One wrote: “Knowing Phil, he’s probably got Emma pregnant too,” whilst a second added: “Watch Emma turn up now.” A third shared: “Wait so if Emma ends up being pregnant with Phil’s baby, he now has 5 kids? Ben, Louise, Raymond, Albie, and Emma’s baby,” as a fourth added: “Ah it is Phil’s! So that’s a child with Denise, Sharon and Emma then.”

Patsy first appeared on the soap back in January 2023 and has made a couple of trips back to Walford since then. She also returned in the summer to say goodbye to her daughter Lola. She had left the Square back in March when she struggled with Lola’s terminal prognosis and was banished from Walford for good by her daughter and her husband Jay.

Speaking back in December about joining the show, Patsy said: “I’m so excited to be visiting Walford for this storyline. It has always been a dream of mine to appear in EastEnders. The cast, producers, writers and crew have been wonderful, and I’ve had a ball. Thank you so much for having me,” whilst executive producer Chris Clenshaw teased “fireworks” on her arrival.

“We’re delighted to welcome the wonderfully talented Patsy to the EastEnders family. She’s the perfect fit to take on the role of such a long-awaited character that we know very little about. Softly spoken and measured, on one hand Emma is the very opposite of her long lost daughter, Lola. But on the other, there’s a striking resemblance; successful, the capacity to hold her own – if she says she’ll do something, she’ll do it – and she’s a fighter, just like Lola. Having spent a lifetime apart, Emma becomes desperate to make up for lost time, but her secret sadness and guilt are never far from the surface. The burden of losing her daughter has never left her, but can she find the courage to tell her shocking truth and reconnect with Lola, or will it come too little, too late? Patsy’s portrayal is bound to set off fireworks in Walford and cause havoc for the Mitchell household,” he said at the time.