Nicola stunned EastEnders viewers this Wednesday as it was revealed the newcomer shares a connection with Zack Hudson, prompting some of them to speculate they could be related.

Zack Hudson was revealed to share a connection with Nicola Mitchell and many EastEnders fans believe there is more to their flirty chatter.

The newcomer portrayed by actress Laura Doddington sparked up a frenzy among BBC One viewers during her debut this week, with many welcoming her as a potential rival for Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean). But in scenes aired this Wednesday, November 13, 2024, Nicola surprised many soap aficionados by snuggling up to Sharon’s brother, Zack Hudson (James Farrar).

Upon her arrival in Walford, Nicola had the opportunity to catch up with both her estranged ex-husband Teddy (Roland Manookian) and her sons, Harry and Barney, the former of which she provided with an alibi when he was arrested for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Shireen.

But following her impromptu exchange with Zack, some viewers of the London-based programme now believe the pair share a prison past and they could even be related, unbeknownst to them.

Theories blossomed online following this Wednesday’s trip to Albert Square, as one fan of the drama wrote: “Zack could have spent time in prison and knew Nicola from when he was inside and that’s why Zack recognises her.”

Another suggested that Nicola, who was revealed to have spent time in prison on Tuesday, could have been thrown behind bars because of her apparent relationship with Zack: “Theory – what if Zack and Nicola is like a student teacher affair thing that’s happened in the past maybe that’s why she was really in prison idk?”

Finally, among viewers underlining Nicola’s resemblance to Sharon, another fan theorised: “What if Nicola Mitchell and the resemblance was a factor in her casting as many have agreed that she looks like Sharon in the 80s. I see a resemblance she has to Zack as well I could totally see her as Sharon and Zack’s long lost sister and secret daughter of Gavin.”

Plenty of secret children have come out of the woodwork throughout the decades on EastEnders, much like Zack, who was introduced as Gavin Sullivan’s son in scenes aired on March 16, 2021, much to Sharon’s shock at the time. Could Nicola be the cause of a similar twist on-screen? And how will Zack, Nicola and Sharon all react if this is the case?

Numerous theories have made the rounds on social media since Nicola’s arrival on the Square, one of which suggests that Barney could have killed Harry’s ex-girlfriend Shireen, leaving Nicola to come back into their lives to protect them, despite their differences.

In another theory, Nicola could share a link with Chrissie Watts, who was last seen in Walford in September, 2024. The villainess was released from behind bars at the time, and bumped into Sharon in prison before she was finally able to drive away from Albert Square with Jake Moon, who unexpectedly returned for the occasions after he was thought to have been killed by Johnny Allen. But what kind of secret is Nicola keeping?