EastEnders fans were left reeling as it was revealed who had fathered Lily's baby.
The 12-year-old daughter of Stacey Slater was rushed to hospital on New Year's Eve after collapsing at a party. With other Albert Square residents also collapsing, the medical episodes were put down to carbon monoxide poisoning and a faulty boiler at the Slaters', but as Lily went for an ultrasound because she was complaining of severe tummy pains, her pregnancy was revealed.
In emotional scenes, Stacey comforted her daughter Lily as she told her the news a doctor had told her just before. Lily had remained quiet about the identity of the father of the baby, until this evening.
Fans of the BBC soap had been speculating for days who might be the father of the baby, with some fearful it could be a dark storyline as they feared Lily's second cousin Freddie could be the father – and others convinced Nugget or Ricky Jr. was the one who Lily might have slept with.
On tonight's show, Lily finally revealed who she had got intimate with, and as a result who the father must have been. Jean and Stacey sat with Lily at home as they asked her more about what happened, with Jean telling her that although the whole family wants the pregnancy not to have happened, they can’t change the situation.
"You're not a child. In fact, I think you're more grown up than I am sometimes. Please, please, put your mum's mind at rest," Jean told a tearful Lily, who then said the father is not her boyfriend and that they had "only done it once".
Lily then confirmed that the father is Ricky Jr. – with Jean almost confusing it for Ricky Butcher – before Lily demanded that Ricky can never know about the pregnancy as the tears fell freely.
Ricky Jr. is the son of Sam Mitchell and Jack Branning, but Sam initially claimed the father was Ricky Butcher, hence the name.
Fans took to Twitter to give their verdict on the revelation during tonight's episode.
"Ricky Junior is the father of Lilys baby I knew it!! #Eastenders x," one wrote, whilst another added: "Ricky Jnr is the father of Lilly's baby. At least Lilly hasn't been abused and that's the good thing. #EastEnders."
A third penned: "I wonder if Ricky got provoked by Nugget to have sex with Lily #EastEnders."
*EastEnders airs Mondays through Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One.
