EastEnders fans are convinced they’ve worked out a huge twist for Nicola Mitchell after she was seen sharing a flirty exchange with Zack Hudson outside of The Queen Vic

EastEnders’ latest bombshell has left fans gobsmacked as newcomer Nicola Mitchell (played by Laura Doddington) already seems to have a past with Zack Hudson (James Farrar), setting off a frenzy of wild speculation about her son Barney (Lewis Bridgeman).

Nicola blew into the Square like a whirlwind, just in time to see her elder lad Harry (Elijah Holloway) getting nicked on suspicion of murder. After spinning a yarn to get him off the hook, it wasn’t long before a juicy secret came bursting out.

Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian) was less than chuffed at Nicola’s arrival and the former flames had a right old barney. Nicola’s tales of spiritual enlightenment in Bali were torn apart while her youngest, Barney, squirmed at the drama.

Turns out, Nicola isn’t just a rubbish beautician but also a jailbird, having done time for dishing out dodgy lip filler that landed a girl in hospital for three days!

When Teddy piped up that the poor lass needed a drip and Nicola hadn’t even coughed up a refund, jaws dropped across Walford, reports the Manchester Evening News.

On Wednesday (November 13), there was more gasping as Nicola ran into Zack outside The Queen Vic.

“I almost had a heart attack when I saw you at that bar,” she gasped after he sussed it was really her. They’d had a brief encounter before.

“Some men are unforgettable, even after all these years,” she flirted. “You still a PT? My core ain’t been the same since you had a go at it.”

After a flirty chit-chat, Nicola dropped the bombshell on Zack to act as if they’re strangers because her hubby and kids were nearby. The spicy scene dished out major clues they might have had a cheeky affair while she was still with Teddy.

Now, viewers are abuzz, theorising that Zack could be Barney’s real dad.

A viewer speculated on X: “What if Barney is Zack’s son? #EASTENDERS.”

Another tweeted in disbelief: “Omg is Zack Barney’s Dad? The resemblance is there # EastEnders.”

A third fan added their two cents: “There wasn’t a need to shoehorn Zack into her past unless this is a possibility”. “Zack will be Barney’s dad”, another proclaimed confidently.

EastEnders airs Monday – Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer