Albert Square faces life-changing announcements this week on EastEnders.

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It’s a tense environment at No.27 as Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) waits to find out if he will lose his job and Amy Mitchell’s (Ellie Dadd) guilt and a misunderstanding lead to heart-breaking scenes.

As the pressure mounts – will Jack keep his job after all?

Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) is overwhelmed by the reality of planning Dot Cotton’s (June Brown) funeral. Will she get the support she needs?

Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) turns 30 and has some news to share with Zack Hudson (James Farrar). How will he react?

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Elsewhere Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) gives into her paranoia about Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) and his ex Linda Carter (Kellie Bright).

Meanwhile, Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) and Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) put their all into organising the Christmas panto.

Read on for all you need to know on EastEnders from 5th 8th December 2022.

6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Amy hospitalised – but will she be OK?

1. Amy Mitchell self-harms and ends up in hospital

Jack Branning visits Amy Mitchell in hospital in EastEnders
Denise Fox and Jack Branning visit Amy Mitchell in hospital in EastEnders. BBC, Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Amy feels guilty about reporting Jack's attack on Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega), but Denise Fox (Diane Parish) tries to comfort and reassure her.

Jack asks a hostile Howie Danes (Delroy Atkinson) to allow Denzel and Amy to spend time together again, but he's firmly rebuffed. Later, Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) intervenes and demands that Howie must at least try to get along with Jack, but he’s still reluctant.

At The Vic, Jack and Denise persuade Howie that Amy is getting the support she needs, so he relents and lets his son see her.

Denzel finds Amy in the café, and they have a heartfelt one-on-one conversation. But it's interrupted by Nugget (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury), who mistakenly tells Amy that Jack has lost his job. At home, a troubled Amy blames herself and self-harms.

Later, Jack gets a call to say Amy didn’t attend her therapy session. He and Denise see her being put into an ambulance, and a visibly frantic Jack reassures his daughter that she’ll be fine.

Jack feels he's to blame at the hospital and remains inconsolable at Amy's bedside. The nurse informs him and Denise that Amy must see a psychiatrist before she can be discharged. Then, in emotional scenes when she awakens, Jack pleads with her to get better. Finally, he's called into work, and Denise urges him to go while she waits with Amy.

Elsewhere, Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) lambasts Kim, Howie and Chelsea Atkins (Zaraah Abrahams) for leaving Ricky Jnr (Frankie Day) on his own. Jack comes home without news about his job, and Denise details Sam's speech. He attempts to find Ricky Jnr to console him, but he wants to spend time with his mum. Finally, Denzel reaches out to Amy, and they meet. During a heart-rending chat, Amy asks if they can get back together...

2. Sonia Fowler is overwhelmed by planning Dot Branning’s funeral

Sonia Fowler sat on a bench with Dotty Cotton in EastEnders
Sonia Fowler and Dotty Cotton prepare for Dot's funeral in EastEnders. BBC, Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Martin Fowler (James Bye) calls to see Sonia, who has been up in the night looking at photographs of Dot.

He offers to help her arrange Dot's funeral with Reverend Mills (Melanie Kilburn), but she reassures him she'll cope alone. During her chat with the vicar, Sonia wants to know that Dot is in heaven, and they discuss how her faith gave her solace.

During their meeting, Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero) rushes in, followed by Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) and Rocky (Brian Conley). Sonia is dismayed over what to do about her.

Sonia is also overcome when Reverend Mills says they can do Dot's funeral on Monday. With the help of Martin, Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean), Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker), Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) and Kathy, she can give Dot her final bittersweet send-off and she’s moved that so many want to support her.

Later, when she's alone with Martin, they look through a box of Dot's possessions, and she can finally express her grief freely.

Sonia Fowler looks at photos of Dot in EastEnders
Sonia Fowler works through her grief for Dot Branning. BBC, Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Afterwards, Jay tells Sonia that he can't officiate Dot's funeral as he must go with Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) to her radiotherapy session.

Dotty locates a tape recorder so Sonia could listen to Dot's tape. Unfortunately, Sonia misses Whitney's party to listen to them and becomes emotional upon hearing Dot's iconic voice. Will it help with her grief?

When they hear that Dot’s body is now at No 25, where Sonia is watching over it, Whitney, Dotty and Jack join her, feeling that she needs to be supported in her grief and that it’s what Dot would’ve wanted. Will Dot get the send-off she deserves?

3. Whitney Dean is pregnant - will she tell Zack Hudson?

Stacey Slater and Whitney Dean in EastEnders
Stacey Slater and Whitney Dean discuss pregnancy tests in EastEnders. BBC, Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Finlay Baker (Ashley Byam) and Felix Baker (Matthew Morrison) are single-minded in their plan to throw Whitney a fantastic 30th birthday party, and they convince Sam to give them a deal on Peggy’s.

Elsewhere, Zack is thrilled to discover he’s been hired as the new chef at Walford East. Meanwhile, important events are unfolding in another part of Walford...

As Whitney sees Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) at the pharmacy, it turns out they are both there with the same purchase in mind – a pregnancy test. With only one pregnancy test pack of two left, they buy it and take the tests together - but they are interrupted before they can share the results.

In later scenes, Felix and Finlay excitedly tell Whitney the party news, and Whitney discloses she’s pregnant with Zack’s baby when she and Chelsea are alone.

Zack is thrilled to start his new job, but Whitney struggles to tell him the news about the baby – fearing his reaction.

Zack Hudson in a kitchen in EastEnders
Zack Hudson starts his new job - but will Whitney tell him he will soon be a father? BBC, Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Meanwhile, Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) and Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) find a positive pregnancy test in the bin and they believe it belongs to Stacey.

In the market, Whitney asks Zack if they can talk, but he’s preoccupied with a call from a random former conquest. Hurt by Zack’s apparent dismissal, Whitney goes home and tells Chelsea that he’s too unreliable to be a father – Chelsea insists she needs to tell him and let him try.

When Jean asks, Stacey tells Jean that the test is Whitney’s and swears her to secrecy. However, later at Walford East, Jean thinks Zack knows and mentions it – leaving an anxious and uneasy Zack to process the information.

On the night of Whitney’s 30th birthday, she tells Finlay and Felix about the baby. They vow to help her raise the child – with or without Zack. So, strengthened, Whitney resolves to tell him...

4. Jack Branning keeps his job but his marriage struggles

Jack Branning on the phone in EastEnders
Jack Branning gets good news in his professional life in EastEnders. BBC, Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

The relief is palpable when Jack gets the news that his job is safe. Kim decides to bring the family together by throwing a surprise dinner. Denise and Jack are horrified to find Kim’s circus of drama in their home and worry Amy will struggle with having everyone there, especially Denzel. A careless and brash moment from Kim sees Amy leave in anger.

Later, Jack asks to postpone his return to work to be with Amy, but Denise thinks it’s a misstep which will only stifle her.

However, as the day continues, Jack fails to pick up her son, Raymond Dawkins (Michael Jose Pomares Calixte), and Denise is hurt and angry that he could be so careless.

Finally, Denise wants Jack to go to Whit’s party, but he refuses as he wants to remain with Amy. So, Denise leaves without him in search of a distraction.

Are Jack and Denise growing further apart?

5. Janine Butcher's paranoia grows

Janine Butcher and Mick Carter in the Vic in EastEnders
Janine Butcher's paranoia about Mick Carter grows in EastEnders. BBC, Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

At The Vic, Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) tells Janine that Linda called in sick, and she becomes even more paranoid: obsessed with the idea that Mick was late because he was with his ex-wife.

Then, Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) accidentally reveals to Janine that Mick and Linda went shopping for their son’s school shoes, causing more concern and distrust before Janine's call with the registar.

Finally, Mick lets Janine know that he and Linda are going to buy Ollie Carter’s (Harry Farr) Christmas presents together, and she’s seething, but she perks up when she gets some promising news.

What will Janine have to tell Mick?

6. Albert Square prepares for a pantomime

Shane Richie as Alfie Moon in EastEnders
Shane Richie as Alfie Moon in EastEnders. BBC

Alfie and Freddie need to raise more money for the Christmas panto, so they charm Sharon into giving them sponsorship money and promise they will promote Crunch Time all over the marketing for the show.

Meanwhile, Alfie also recruits Rocky, Mitch Baker (Roger Griffiths) and Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) to be part of the panto.

Still, he’s unable to convince Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), who also forbids him from including their sons in the show, leaving him disheartened.

Will Alfie be able to win round his ex-wife?

Read more:

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 or Streaming Guide, or visit our Soaps hub.

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