EastEnders confirms new baby story for Whitney before exit

EastEnders has confirmed a new baby storyline for Whitney Dean, ahead of Shona McGarty’s exit from the role.

Whitney and partner Zack Hudson recently made the decision to become foster parents together, after the devastating loss of their baby Peach earlier this year. However, scenes set to air over the New Year will see Whitney discover she’s pregnant again.

Devastated by the news that foster child Ashton will be moving to a new home, the couple struggle to cope, with Zack drowning his sorrows at Peggy’s while Sonia desperately tries to cheer up Whitney at their New Year’s Eve party.

Not feeling in the party spirit, Whitney heads back to No.3B and she is surprised to learn she is pregnant after taking a test.

The next day, Zack returns home and is shocked by Whitney’s baby bombshell — with the pair interrupted by Ashton’s social worker as they discuss the news.

An excited Whitney then reveals the news to Sonia, with the pair heading back to No.25 to take another test while Reiss and Zack head out for a drink together.

Later on, Whitney reflects on the news while visiting Peach’s tree but she is interrupted by Yolande who has come to share her own experiences with fostering, leading Whitney to break down and reveal her baby news.

Following their heart-to-heart, Whitney makes a decision about her pregnancy and heads back to No.3B.

Teasing the storyline earlier this year, EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw remained “tight-lipped” about the specifics but revealed that “[Whitney] and Zack have a little Christmas/New Year miracle.”

Meanwhile, McGarty recently opened up on her decision to quit the role of Whitney, calling it “the end of an era”.

“The door’s open and I could always come back in the future. But at the moment, I want to pursue things that are in my heart, like singing — stuff that I’ve been doing since childhood and dreaming about. EastEnders has been amazing; I just want to do other things,” she told Inside Soap.