8 EastEnders spoilers next week: Lily in labour as Theo exposed

Meanwhile, the drama continues for the Beale family as recent returnee Ian (Adam Woodyatt) sets out to secure a future for his clan but must mend bridges and forge new business alliances.

Elsewhere, Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) and Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) face a monumental week without Lola for the first time.

Finally, Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) struggles with a guilty conscience, but his secret doesn't stay hidden for long...

Read on for what to expect from EastEnders in the week commencing 4th September 2023.

8 EastEnders spoilers next week

1. Lily Slater goes into labour at home

The day has finally arrived as thirteen-year-old Lily Slater goes into labour - but her water breaks at home after previously feeling unwell.

Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) returns home to find Lily in full-blown labour and they find the ambulance has been delayed, prompting Jean and Stacey to prepare to deliver Lily's baby at home.

Stacey heads off to get some more towels for Lily but becomes distracted by another huge danger...

2. Stacey Slater learns the truth about sick Theo Hawthorne

As Theo Hawthorne hopes to take his relationship with Stacey to a new level, he celebrates his latest career news with her.

Meanwhile, suspicious Martin Fowler (James Bye) and Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) do some further digging on Theo and soon have their worst fears about him confirmed.

Martin tries to desperately contact Stacey, but Theo intercepts the messages for Stacey and hides them. Realising that he will soon be exposed, he soon reveals everything amid Lily's waters breaking.

A terrified Stacey tries to get rid of Theo amid Lily's labour, putting her daughter's wellbeing first.

However, when Stacey returns to the kitchen for towels to help deliver her granddaughter at home, she is shocked to be met by a furious Theo.

Before she knows it, a petrified Stacey is trapped in her kitchen with the man she had no idea was the person tormenting her all this time.

Will she escape? And will Lily's baby be safely delivered?

• Read More: EastEnders icon Lacey Turner on Stacey's "panic" in stalker Theo showdown

3. Ian Beale exposes Freddie Slater and Anna Knight's secret in the Queen Vic

Following the events of the dramatic previous week, Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) is feeling huge guilt about having slept with Anna Knight (Molly Rainford) and a spark remains between them.

Coming clean to Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), Freddie is urged to keep his secret from best friend Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell).

As the week goes on, Freddie's guilt remains as he tries to separate himself from both Bobby and Anna.

However, a twist in the tale occurs when Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) has his own heart-to-heart with Alfie about his insecurities and discovers Freddie's one-night stand with Anna. Ian swears to keep Freddie's secret.

Then, during a tense encounter with his perceived love rival George Knight (Colin Salmon) in the Queen Vic pub, Ian blurts out the truth about Anna and Freddie - unaware that both Bobby and Ian's wife Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) are present.

What will this mean for the relationships between the youngsters now?

4. Ben Mitchell and Lexi Pearce face a difficult week

A difficult week lies ahead for Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) as she faces her first week of secondary school without her late mother Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold).

Lexi's father Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) is also struggling amid his own bulimia battle and grief for Lola too, but sticks by his daughter through this difficult time.

As the week goes on, Ben finds himself in the Queen Vic drowning his sorrows but is summoned home by his beloved husband Callum Highway (Tony Clay) to help comfort an anxious Lexi.

After some talking, Lexi begins to get excited about the first day of secondary school, but Callum grows concerned about Ben's mental health too.

Will Ben be honest about how he's feeling?

5. Ricky Mitchell has a big announcement for Jack Branning

Of course, it's not just a big week for Lily Slater with her going into labour, as the teen father of her unborn baby, Ricky Mitchell (Frankie Day), is also about to have his life changed forever.

Amid this tumultuous time, Ricky drops a bombshell on his father Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) which leaves him emotional: he will no longer be Ricky Mitchell, as he is changing his name to Ricky Branning.

While a touching moment for the parent who raised him, we wonder how Ricky's mother Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) will feel when she returns to Albert Square.

Having headed to Spain to earn a large some of money to help Ricky raise his baby, Sam will be back in the Autumn and we imagine this detail might sting...

6. Reiss Colwell and Sonia Fowler begin their IVF journey

After deciding to pursue having children through IVF, Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) and Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) head to their first fertility appointment.

Of course, unbeknownst to Sonia, Reiss is funding their journey with money from his comatose wife Deborah.

Then, another issue arises as Reiss is uncomfortable to realise that his fertility has become local gossip following a run-in with Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) at the launderette.

Later, Sonia tries to do her best to convince Reiss that he will make a wonderful father, but will her reassurances be enough to make him feel better?

7. Ian and Cindy Beale pursue a business relationship with Nish and Suki Panesar

Ian decides to pursue a new business opportunity that sees him book in a lunch with Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) to secure his investment.

However, Ian's lunch with Nish and Suki Kaur Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) does not go exactly as he hoped, prompting the Panesars to withdraw any potential investment.

Yet, it is Cindy herself who then sets out to convince the Panesars to invest and it seems the opportunity may remain open with Nish, as Ian ropes Alfie in to sell his taster menu to Nish.

Unfortunately, Nish rearranges, but the Beales remain unperturbed. Do Ian's antics in the Queen Vic put a full stop to his schemes?

8. Cindy, Ian and Peter Beale each try to make amends

Outside of business, Ian, Cindy and Peter (Thomas Law) each try to build bridges after the drama of the previous week.

At the start of the week, Cindy heads to the Queen Vic to see her daughters but is left humiliated by a furious Gina Knight (Francesca Henry), only to be comforted by Ian.

Peter also encourages Ian to put things right with his mother Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) and his younger son Bobby, but Ian's new stepfather Tom "Rocky" Cotton (Brian Conley) is not buying it.

Elsewhere, Peter also tries to ingratiate himself with his half-sisters Gina and Anna and the Knight sisters are shocked to realise that Peter only recently discovered their existence himself.

Peter then tries to bring Anna and Bobby back together, but somehow Ian's exposure of her tryst with Freddie could have put a stop to that...

Read more:

• EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
• EastEnders' Michelle Collins on Cindy Beale meeting Lucy’s killer Bobby
• EastEnders' Cindy Williams Jr to be "mentioned" amid Michelle Collins return
• EastEnders icon teases return of Cindy Beale's "bad" side in love triangle
• How will Whitney Dean and Karen Taylor leave EastEnders? Theories and speculation
• Michelle Collins almost played another iconic EastEnders character

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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