EastEnders could be lining up a new love interest for Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) in the form of sassy barmaid Gina Knight (Francesca Henry).
Jay is still deep in grief over the tragic loss of his wife Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold), who recently passed away after a courageous battle against cancer. Lola was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour late last year, and died peacefully in May, leaving Jay and her daughter Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown), heartbroken.
Lonely Jay has been struggling to adjust to life without his beloved Lo and recently moved into Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) and Callum Highway’s (Tony Clay) flat to help co-parent Lexi.
But the widower is in for a surprise when newcomer Gina makes a romantic move on him.
Over at The Queen Vic, Gina is annoyed when Linda accuses her of stealing £200 from the pub takings to fund her party lifestyle. It’s not long before Gina discovers Anna stole the cash to pay for a private investigator to track down their mum, Rose.
Gina is still unable to forgive Rose, who the fans now know is in fact Cindy Beale, for walking out on the family with no explanation. She agrees not to tell George about Anna’s theft, but issues her sister with an ultimatum — it’s her or Rose.
Defiant Anna decides to carry on her search in secret, while Gina heads to The Albert to drown her sorrows and encounters Jay, who’s attempting to enjoy a drink in peace.
Interrupting his solitude, Gina proceeds to get drunk and instructs Jay to look after Lexi, revealing her own sad experience of growing up without a mum.
As the booze continues to flow, tactile Gina places her hand on Jay’s leg, which causes him to freak out and make a very swift exit from the bar.
Might Gina end up offering Jay a shoulder to cry on and something more?
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
