EastEnders' Kat Mitchell faces fresh heartache in early BBC iPlayer release

The BBC One soap has seen Kat call time on her marriage to local hardman Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) after his sister Sam (Kim Medcalf) exposed his infidelity with Lola's mother Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit).

A further betrayal occurred when Kat discovered her ex-husband and close friend Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) was aware of Phil's secret and had concealed it in a bid to protect her.

Despite suggestions from her cousin Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) to forgive Phil for the sake of her children, Kat soon sat her children down to tell them that she and Phil were separating and they'd be moving back to the Slater house.

On Friday, Kat realised the strain that she and her three sons' presence was already having on the Slater household, with thirteen people living in a five-bedroom house.

Even Stacey's eldest daughter Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) snapped at Kat for being there and complaining about the cramped nature of the place, while Kat overheard a catty remark from Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) to partner Eve Unwin (Heather Peace).

Later, Kat also overheard Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) telling daughter Stacey that it was not sustainable for Kat and her boys to stay there, leaving Kat more isolated than ever.

Heading to the Queen Vic pub, Kat sought to drown her sorrows, once again rejecting Alfie for betraying her and then getting verbally aggressive at landlady Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe).

However, Kat finds a companion in sorrow in the form of local villain Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) who also feels betrayed by his spouse.

As Kat notes that she can't find somewhere new to live as her funds are tied up in businesses shared with Phil, Nish offered her a flat on George Street rent-free.

Kat took Nish up on his offer and went to collect her belongings from Phil's house, once again rejecting his attempts to fix their marriage.

At the Slater house, a distraught but resolute Kat hit back at Stacey and Jean's attitude and resolved to take up Nish's offer despite warnings.

In a final scene, Kat thanked Nish for his support and he maintained there was no ulterior motive for his behaviour. Yet, a final look at the end of the episode suggested otherwise.

Will Nish manage to find a romance with Kat and, if so, what are his long-term intentions?

Read more:

• EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
• 6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Nish Panesar issues Suki with ultimatum
• EastEnders star Kim Medcalf on Sam Mitchell’s exit and how she can “repair things”
• Why EastEnders should bring back Kim Medcalf’s Sam Mitchell as soon as possible
• EastEnders announces surprise Patsy Palmer return as icon Bianca Jackson
• Does EastEnders’ Nish Panesar know the truth as he seeks justice over attack?
• EastEnders airs moving farewell for Aunt Sal – and special TV reference to star Anna Karen

EastEnders airs Monday to Friday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this week.

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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