EastEnders confirms Penny's fate amid terrifying scenes in early iPlayer release

 Penny is rushed to hospital tonight.

EastEnders' Penny Branning has a terrifying hospital dash in today's episode after she coughs up blood. Penny is eight months pregnant, and her partner Vinny Panesar has been trying his hardest to give her all the help she needs.

However, Vinny doesn't know that he may not be the baby's biological father as Penny also slept with Harry, her best friend Gina's boyfriend, around the same time.

Earlier this week, Vinny took Penny to an antenatal class and revealed he had also set up a rota to help with her post-partum care.

But Penny has been left frustrated by Vinny's efforts, wanting to prove she's capable of taking care of herself and her unborn baby. Plus, she has been preoccupied with the grand opening of her new shop.

In recent days, Penny has also been experiencing swelling in her leg, which she has put down to a normal element of pregnancy.

Today is the opening of Penny's shop and she wakes to Vinny already up and ready to leave, having made her breakfast.

Vinny asks about Penny's leg and says she should consider going to the doctor, but Penny is adamant that she isn't experiencing anything unusual.

But after Vinny leaves, Penny falls while trying to get into to her wheelchair and is left on the floor feeling dejected. After Penny calls Vinny, Suki arrives to find her on the floor and helps her into her chair.

Suki tells Penny that she's being selfish by not allowing Vinny and others to help her, warning that if she pushes him away she'll regret it.

Later, Penny is on her way to the shop opening but Max and Priya spot her appearing to struggle. When Max goes over to help her, she coughs up blood and he immediately calls an ambulance.

Meanwhile, Vinny and Penny's dad Jack are waiting for her at the store, until Jack gets a phone call from Max saying she's been rushed to hospital.

At the hospital, Penny is diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, which was the cause of the pain in her leg. The doctor warns Penny that she needs to take care of herself.

Thankfully, the clot was caught it in time and both Penny and baby are going to be okay.

Later, Penny apologises to Vinny, saying she's had people all her life telling her what's best for her body, meaning she finds it hard to let people in.

The couple then agreed that they would do things together and help each other.

Home and away Monday 24th August 8774 Promo

 

Home and Away 8773 Episode 20th August 2026

 

Home and Away is bringing back legendary character Brax - and he's not alone

 Stephen Peacocke is back as Brax!

Home and Away star Stephen Peacocke will reprise his role as Darryl "Brax" Braxton, and he'll return with another fan favourite in tow.

The actor, who left the soap over a decade ago, has signed on for a major Home and Away event in 2026, and he'll be joined by Bonnie Sveen, aka Erica "Ricky" Sharpe.

Back in 2016, both Peacocke and Sveen bid adieu to the show, with their characters Brax and Ricky driving off into the sunset with their son Casey after establishing an iconic on-screen romance. Now, with the pair confirmed to return, fans will finally learn what the TV couple has been up to since leaving Summer Bay.

While details are currently limited, the landmark Home and Away event will be made in partnership with Tourism Western Australia.

Promising "high-stakes drama and emotional payoffs set against a stunning backdrop of WA's rugged outback", the special episodes are expected to air on 5 next year, with filming taking place across Western Australia this October.

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In the meantime, 5 and Tourism Western Australia have also launched a competition, which will give one UK winner and their guest a chance to visit West Australia's Coral Coast in October, spending 8 nights in the Dream State and going behind the scenes on the Home and Away set.

As he prepares to reprise his role, Peacocke said: "I'll always be grateful to Home and Away for being the launchpad to my career, and I've got a sincere appreciation for the fans who've followed my work since.

When the producers asked if I'd revisit Brax, it felt like a fun opportunity – and one I think the audience will really enjoy. Filming in spectacular outback Western Australia is the icing on the cake, and we can't wait to welcome one lucky UK fan and their guest onto set with us."

Meanwhile, Bonnie Sveen noted: "Bringing Ricky back wasn't something I'd ever expected, so I'm beyond thrilled to reunite with Steve and old friends at Home and Away. Exploring where Ricky and Brax are now, 10 years on, will make for a very special and compelling storyline – and I can't wait for our WA filming adventure.

EastEnders appears to confirm Ian Beale's fate in new behind-the-scenes snaps

 It looks like he won't have nothing left for long.

EastEnders' long-suffering fan-favourite Ian Beale is currently doing time in prison, and he hasn't been having a great time of it due to Gray Atkins wanting his own unhealthy slice of revenge.

Though the arc involving Gray looks to have been sorted for now, it remains to be seen how Ian will fare behind bars. That is unless you've spotted some behind-the-scenes photos, which indicate that he could be out of jail soon.

The photos were taken by Alice Haig, who plays Vicki Fowler on the BBC soap. She posted some snaps on Instagram Stories, with co-stars Stephen Aaron-Sipple, Letitia Dean and Laura Doddington all being pictured in the café.

Tellingly, Adam Woodyatt, the actor who plays Ian, was also in the photos. With the soap filming about eight weeks in advance, it looks like Ian could be back in Albert Square as soon as October if these photos are anything to go by.

We already knew that Ian would be back in the thick of it in the early part of 2027, as he was involved in the drama from the flash-forward episode that aired on New Year's Day earlier this year.

In that episode, he served as Max Branning's best man (begrudgingly), although we still don't know exactly who it is that the infamous womaniser is set to wed. He's currently engaged to Ian's ex-wife Cindy, but a lot could happen before then.

Elsewhere, it's all change for the Slater family in the upcoming months, as Zoe's funeral has just been filmed. Rob Kazinsky, meanwhile, has also been confirmed for a permanent return as Sean, almost 20 years after he was in Walford full-time.

"I wanted to do it for the fans that have supported me in every role since I left the Square but, mostly, I wanted to do it for me," he said of his return. "I'm home, and I can't wait to bring a new level of heartfelt chaos to Albert Square in the way only Sean Slater can."

Home and Away reveal "massive cliffhanger" for beloved characters

 

Home and Away stars Tristan Gorey and Emily Weir have teased the future of their characters Levi Fowler and Mackenzie Booth, stating that an upcoming cliffhanger could leave Levi's life hanging in the balance.

It's been quite a year for Mackenzie and Levi – after enduring two miscarriages in their fertility journey, Levi's life was put at risk when he fell down a cliffside in episodes that aired in the UK this week.

Speaking exclusively to Inside Soap, Tristan and Emily hinted at more to come for the couple – and Em revealed who she'd love to see play Mackenzie's mum, should the character ever be introduced.

There is a massive cliffhanger on the horizon for a few of our beloved characters, Levi included," Tristan teased. "The stakes are high, it could be the end of the road for Levi, but I guess you will have to tune in."

I’m always saying to the bosses, 'Can we meet Mac’s mum?'" Emily added. "My dream casting would be Tina Arena, can we make that happen? That would be wild!"

Emily and Tristan are nominated for multiple Inside Soap Awards this year, including Best Actor and Actress, Best Storyline and Best Showstopper for their portrayal of Mackenzie and Levi's fertility journey.

It’s special that our story has meant so much to a lot of people," said Tristan. "I had someone pull me up in public and say, 'I went through IVF, and the stories you guys are doing right now are just so relatable'. She was able to see her husband in Levi when he was going through it."

"There’s still so much internalised shame around fertility, even though it’s such a common story, and the response we’ve had has been really beautiful," Emily chimed in. "It’s so fulfilling when you tell a story and someone out there feels less alone because of it."

EastEnders confirms when Nicola's family officially arrive in new advanced spoilers

 EastEnders has confirmed when Nicola Mitchell will be reunited with her family after the new characters just made their Walford debut, with viewers having to wait a little while longer before the big scenes air.

Although their first visit to the Square was brief, we know that Nicola's sisters, Gemma and Jodie, and their mum Rose will return to the East End with Gemma's husband Ned, their son Ryder and an adorable dog in tow.

Their first visit brought about a difficult conversation for Nicola, who was forced to admit to partner George Knight that she was the reason her abusive father had died, and that Rose has never properly forgiven her.

It seems that the Hawkins family will now stay in Walford a little longer, as a synopsis for an upcoming episode teases that they will make "their presence known in Albert Square", and that Nicola will offer "an olive branch".

Elsewhere, Walford is buzzing with excitement as a double wedding is in the air, though it remains to be seen if these will go ahead as planned given the various twists that are expected to come.

Advanced spoilers for the BBC soap have teased the Hawkins will return to Walford at the end of the month, and you can read the full teasers below.

Monday 31 August - 7.30pm

Nicola gets a shock when the Hawkinses arrive in Walford. Wedding fever sweeps Walford ahead of Cindy and Kim's big days. And Priya wrestles with her guilt.

Tuesday 1 September - 7.30pm

The Hawkinses make their presence known in Albert Square. Ravi pushes Priya for information about what happened whilst he was away.

Wednesday 2 September - 7.30pm

Nicola has a change of heart and offers an olive branch. Ravi's suspicions make him determined to find the truth. A power cut threatens Linda's event at the community centre.

Thursday 3 September - 7.30pm

The men of Walford gather in Harry's Barn for Max and Howie's stag party. Linda is forced to decide between her head and her heart. And Max attempts to talk his way out of a situation, but will it be enough?

EastEnders spoilers for next week 24 to 27 August 2026

 What's coming up in Walford?

Next week on EastEnders, Denise's brother arrives, as her condition takes another devastating turn.

Meanwhile, Priya makes a risky move as she continues to hide a big secret, while Alfie's latest plan backfires.

Here is our round-up of all the biggest moments coming up in Albert Square. You can also check our collection of 27 spoiler pictures for next week's episodes.

 Kim makes a life-changing discovery

The Fox-Truemans are still desperately trying to find a stem cell match for Denise ahead of the donor drive at the community centre.

When Denise's condition worsens, she is put in a medically induced coma.

With the family starting to despair, they get some much-needed hope when Kim learns that Denise has a half-brother.

Penny hides her guilt

Penny reluctantly accepts support as she and Vinny prepare for the baby's imminent arrival.

However, when Vinny recruits Harry to help with the plans, Penny is forced to conceal her guilt over her secret.

Priya takes risky action

A pregnant Priya is unsure if the father of her unborn baby is Max or Ravi but is determined to find out.

With Jean's help, she attempts to obtain DNA samples from both Ravi and Max at the donor drive.

Afterwards, Priya secretly pursues a paternity test.

Kim makes a breakthrough

Denise's family continue their search for her half-brother, Darnell.

When Jack starts to fear that time is running out, he takes matters into his own hands.

However, he's unaware that Kim has managed to contact Darnell, who agrees to meet them.

 Denise's brother arrives

Darnell arrives to meet Jack and Kim but struggles with the news of Denise's illness – and the reason why they've tracked him down in the first place.

He agrees to meet Denise regardless but is overwhelmed by the severity of her illness and quickly leaves.

Amy continues to grow closer to Craig

Amy overhears a development in Joel's case, as Denzel contemplates his future with her.

As Denzel plans to ask Amy out, he soon decides against it following advice from Howie.

He then rejects Amy when she makes a move on him, leaving her devastated.

When a fragile Amy bumps into Craig afterwards, she makes plans to meet up with him again.

 Suki and Eve get devastating news

Suki and Eve are devastated to learn that Ria's mother might be preparing to seek custody.

As Suki struggles to process the news, it leads to tensions with Vinny and Penny during a conversation about the baby.

Alfie makes a worrying discovery

Alfie grows concerned when footage from Bert and Ernie's school project shows Kat upset in the background.

Instead of addressing this with Kat directly, Alfie secretly plans a Benidorm-themed party to lift her spirits.

 Jack's actions leave Kim furious

Jack is relieved when Denise shows signs of improvement and can be brought out of her coma.

His relief is short-lived when the doctors explain that Denise's treatment is not working and the search for a stem cell donor is now desperately urgent.

As Jack vows to bring Darnell back, Denise is comforted by news of her biological brother.

However, when Jack finds Darnell, and his daughter Grace, the situation gets out of hand, and Jack is left fearing they've lost their only chance to help Denise.

Jack returns to the hospital to break the bad news to Denise, but Kim is furious with him and lashes out.

 Alfie's plan backfires

Everyone is enjoying Alfie's party until a community officer turns up and shuts it down immediately.

Kat is horrified when they are threatened with a fine, and Alfie is forced to try and calm her down.

When Ria is injured, an angry Suki threatens legal action against them.

 Priya and Ravi look to the future

Priya and Ravi declare their love for each other as they excitedly make plans for their future.

But with Priya having secretly done a paternity test, what will the results reveal?

 Oscar is given a surprise task

With Jack preoccupied with everything that's going on with Denise, Cindy turns to Oscar for help instead.

Cindy instructs Oscar to organise Max's stag do for him, despite Max's reservations.