EastEnders reveals Bianca's mystery man is the son of Whitney's abuser Tony King
Leo King is on a mission to clear his dead dad's name
EastEnders is to revisit Whitney Dean's tragic past as the long-lost son of her abuser Tony King battles to clear his dead dad's name.
Leo King was revealed to viewers as the mystery man who has been harassing Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) since Whit's stepmother returned to Walford, and it now emerges he is on a mission to prove his father was innocent, despite being convicted of his crimes 11 years ago and taking his own life in prison in 2013.
Prior to B's comeback, Leo had tracked her down upon learning his grandparents had given her money to compensate for what her former partner did to her family. Convinced Whitney lied about the sexual and psychological abuse she was subjected to in her childhood, Leo has followed Bianca and is demanding she had over the cash, believing it is rightfully his.
Having dispatched Whitney on a solo honeymoon to stop her bumping into Tony's secret offspring, who has moved to Walford and already chatted up her youngest daughter Tiffany Butcher, Bianca threatened creepy Leo to stay away in a tense showdown. But after he issued a counter threat about revealing her own secret that she was recently in prison, it looks like he's set to be become a thorn in her family's side…
Speaking of his new role, Tom Wells said: "I'm really excited to be joining the EastEnders team and seeing what's in store for Leo. He's definitely not to be trusted and I can't wait to see him settle in." Wells has previously appeared in BBC1 daytime soap Doctors and ITV drama Bancroft, alongside Sarah Parish.
EastEnders' executive producer Jon Sen had already teased that Bianca's brief return would spark a huge new storyline for stepdaughter Whitney set to stretch over the next 18 months, and added further detail on how Leo's arrival kicks off the plot. "Leo King is a dark and misguided figure who has grown up with the stigma of being the son of a convicted paedophile.
"We are thrilled to welcome Tom, knowing he will bring depth and complexity to the part of Leo – a man who believe his father has been wronged and who will go to great lengths to prove it."
How long can Bianca keep Leo away from Whitney, and will she be forced to confess her spell behind bars to her relatives?
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