EastEnders airs major decision for Sharon after paternity twist in BBC iPlayer release

The BBC One soap aired a shock yesterday when medical tests confirmed that Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) was not the biological father of Sharon's son - meaning Albie's father is her ex-husband Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).

In Thursday's episode, Sharon struggled with the weight of this news and when she later met Keanu for a drink in the Vic pub and was greeted by a surprise engagement party, Sharon reacted badly and snapped at Keanu before leaving.

Outside in the Square, Sharon sat on the bench placed there in memory of her late son Dennis Rickman Jr. (Bleu Landau) and was approached by her loving half-brother Zack Hudson (James Farrar).

A tearful Sharon then revealed the truth about Albie's medical diagnosis of Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency which meant Zack also needed to get tested for the condition, before confessing the truth of Albie's paternity.

As Sharon recognised that she and Keanu had faced their issues, she loved him and he was a good father to Albie and she feared this would ruin everything.

Zack reminded Sharon that neither of them had good relationships with their biological parents - especially their father Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicolas) - and that genetics don't make someone a good parent. Zack encouraged Sharon to do what was best for herself and Albie.

After this conversation, Sharon paid a visit to Phil, intending to tell him the truth about Albie, but his rude and abrasive attitude towards Keanu and her relationship with him resulted in an argument and Sharon stormed out without telling him anything.

• Read More: EastEnders' Letitia Dean on Albie paternity twist: "Sharon and Phil have such a history together"

Back at home, an exhausted Sharon sat down before being approached by an apologetic Keanu who made clear his love and devotion to Sharon and Albie.

Choosing to remain silent on Albie's paternity, Sharon embraced Keanu and told him he would have a loving fiancée and son waiting for him when returned from his trip to visit his half-brother Keegan Baker (Zack Morris) in Germany. However, as she hugged Keanu, a look of concern and doubt crossed Sharon's face.

Fans are aware that Sharon and Keanu are set to marry on Christmas Day - the day a flash-forward told us that one man would die in the Vic in an encounter with six women - Sharon, Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal).

So, will Sharon head into the wedding with this almighty paternity secret?

Fans are also aware that Keanu has a secret of his own - he staged the abduction of Albie with aid from his mother Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley), and collected ransom money supplied by Phil, before deciding he wanted to stay with Sharon after all.

Speaking about Sharon and Keanu's romance to RadioTimes.com last month, executive producer Chris Clenshaw noted: "Sharon and Keanu are kind of electric together and they have such great chemistry. And I think when they first got together when she was still with Phil, that he was able to kind of give her so much that Phil wasn't giving her and she was made to feel like a woman again, after so many years of being kind of treated quite badly by Phil.

"Now they're in a very different place. They're not having an affair, everything's quite honest - well, apart from Keanu’s plans - but I don't think they necessarily have as much in common as they would like to have in common. I think that they're very much attracted to each other, but I think when you kind of break that open, I'm not sure that they are soulmates."

Read more:

• EastEnders winter preview 2023: Chris Clenshaw on Christmas, exits, returns
• EastEnders’ Alfie and Linda plot to force Dean out of Walford after new low
• EastEnders’ Nish Panesar gives Rocky new ultimatum over café fire
• EastEnders drops dramatic Christmas trailer with violent Kathy Cotton
• EastEnders couple face split after outburst in early BBC iPlayer release
• EastEnders airs dramatic Christmas teaser for Sharon
• EastEnders boss explains Dean Wicks return to Walford in Halloween shock
• Who was Tom Banks in EastEnders? Sharon’s tragic lost love explained
• EastEnders boss teases "huge consequences" for Reiss Colwell lie
• EastEnders' Lauren Branning "won’t be returning on her own", teases soap boss
• EastEnders confirms festive "miracle" for Whitney Dean and Zack Hudson

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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