Will Stacey Slater and Jack Branning have an affair on EastEnders?

Jack offered a helping hand when Stacey dropped her shopping, and during a heart-to-heart, police detective Jack offered to step in and protect her from Theo if necessary.

"Like my own personal bodyguard?" Stacey retorted. Jack went on to explain that he could help her get a Stalking Protection Order against Theo, and Stacey was grateful.

Now, one viewer speculated that this statement reminded them that Stacey was seen with a knight standing behind her in EastEnders' Christmas flashforward, sparking the possibility that Jack may step in to help her on the day. That's certainly something to think about...

But others are considering another idea – that Jack and Stacey might be set for some passion!

Jack had some marriage troubles with wife Denise Fox (Diane Parish) earlier in the year, after Denise felt neglected and turned to Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) for comfort.

Jack and Denise eventually got back on track, but we know that Denise's all-consuming hatred for Ravi, who she now knows is a killer, soon leads her to take a break away from Walford.

Meanwhile, Theo continues to scare Stacey with his behaviour, and this isn't the first time we've seen Jack look out for Stace recently. Shortly after Stacey's young daughter Lily (Lillia Turner) gave birth, Theo turned up at the hospital – and although the police hadn't taken action, Jack warned Theo away.

So, are Jack and Stacey about to grow closer? Probably, but we hope not in that way! Remember, Jack's son Ricky Jr (Frankie Day) is the father of Lily's baby girl Charli. This means Jack and Stacey share a granddaughter, so naturally he's going to be overly concerned for the safety of the family.

Also, Jack and Stacey used to be in-laws! We saw Jack telling Stacey that they're hardly "just neighbours" any more, but really, they've been connected for years.

Stacey was married to Jack's late nephew, Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements). Bradley died while trying to escape the police, who suspected he was behind Archie Mitchell's (Larry Lamb) murder.

Jack had tried to help Bradley and Stacey skip the country, but it transpired that Stacey was the killer – something star Turner recalls in an exclusive chat with RadioTimes.com.

At one point, supportive Stacey was even helping widower Jack with the school run, picking up Ricky and Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) from school. So why wouldn't he want to be there for Stace? It doesn't necessarily mean that Jack is about to cheat on Denise. And we're not the only ones who think this plot twist is a no-go.

Of course, we can't ignore the fact that Stacey has a huge history with Branning men – she had an infamous affair with Bradley's father Max (Jake Wood), after all!

But given that she's going through a hellish time right now, it would feel inappropriate for Stacey to enter into another affair, and in our opinion, it sounds plain wrong.

These two are more like family, so although we understand the suspicions, let's hope EastEnders just doesn't go there.

Viewers who identify with Stacey's story can contact the National Stalking Helpline on 08088020300, or visit suzylamplugh.org. You can also visit Safeguarding Hub.

Read more:

• EastEnders’ Lacey Turner reveals new Christmas murder mystery theory
• EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
• 7 EastEnders spoilers: Will Kat marry Phil amid Alfie diagnosis reveal?
• EastEnders’ Shane Richie: Alfie ‘broken’ over Kat amid prostate cancer diagnosis
• EastEnders casts mysterious Nadine who attempts to seduce Jay Brown
• EastEnders’ Theo Hawthorne plans twisted move next door to victim Stacey
• EastEnders’ Ian Beale panics as his actions push Cindy closer to George

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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