There’s housefire horror ahead in EastEnders this week, as a pregnant Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) finds herself trapped in a deadly inferno.

The expectant mum is in danger in the lead-up to Christmas as her prescription drugs storyline takes a fiery turn.

As fans of the BBC soap know, Lauren has secretly become addicted to prescription medication following the injuries she sustained in the crowd crush at Peggy’s back in September.

Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) later found out about her struggle and used it as leverage to stop Lauren from revealing what she knew about her involvement in Kojo Asare’s (Dayo Koleosho) recent accident.

While Cindy later began supplying her with pills, their rivalry steps up in forthcoming scenes, after a hospital dash leads to the rest of the Beale family finding out about Lauren’s pregnancy.

Cindy is horrified to realise Lauren has been risking her baby’s health by continuing to use while pregnant and issues her with an ultimatum – either she tells partner Peter Beale (Thomas Law) about her addiction, or she will. 

‘The ultimatum is really scary for her,’ says Jacqueline Jossa. ‘Lauren wants to tell Peter, but in telling him, she knows she’s got to get this addiction under control, Now Cindy has the upper hand, massively.

‘Lauren knows it’s a ticking time bomb, and something needs to happen.’

As a desperate Lauren tries to get one up on Cindy, she goes to visit Kojo to get him to open up about his accident, hoping he’ll tell her Cindy was to blame.

Seemingly succeeding in her mission, Cindy is then forced to reluctantly give Lauren more pills. 

But danger looms later that night when Lauren is at home with son Louie (Jake McNally). 

When she takes more pills, she soon slips into an unconscious state, unaware that a burning candle has fallen over.

As a fire soon takes hold, will Lauren and Louie get out alive?

EastEnders airs these scenes from Tuesday 17 December at 7.30pm on BBC One, or stream first on iPlayer.