EastEnders' Jay turns to drugs as Ben and Callum confront him over distant behaviour

Having been granted parental responsibility of Lexi, Jay has let his duties slide as he struggles with his loss, and began paying sex worker Nadine (Jazzy Phoenix) to let him sleep by her side.

Tonight, Jay woke up in Nadine's flat, and found a bag of drugs on her nightstand. Nadine explained that ketamine helped her chill out, and suggested it could do the same for Jay, who declined.

Meanwhile, Ben assumed that an absent Jay had a new girlfriend, and he fumed that Jay hadn't done Lexi's lunchbox for school.

Callum had already met Nadine by chance, and saw Jay with her. When Callum confronted Jay, Jay insisted that he wasn't paying for sex.

Callum branded Jay's plan "weird" and we later saw the detective speak to Nadine, telling her that Jay is a widower and urging her to leave him alone.

At home, Jay apologised to Ben for not being around, and claimed he had simply been staying at a mate's place.

Ben reminded Jay that Lexi needed him, and that he couldn't let her down. Jay promised to stay at home that night, and Callum later told Jay he couldn't escape grief, and asked him not to see Nadine again.

But Jay went to see her anyway, and Nadine explained that Callum had given her a piece of his mind. She was concerned about Jay seeking her out because she looked like Lola - but Jay replied that he couldn't switch off at home.

Jay then asked Nadine to give him some ketamine as a one-off, and she reluctantly agreed. But will Jay regret taking drugs to hide from his pain?

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EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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