Ash Percival
Published February 16, 2026 11:59pm
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Have Ethan’s mum and dad been revealed? (Picture: BBC/Shutterstock)
Ever since EastEnders teased the arrival of a new baby in the New Year’s Day flashforward episode, fans have been speculating as to who his parents will be.
Well, it now seems like we finally have our answer, as Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) unexpectedly discovers she is pregnant next week.
The market trader has been hooking up with Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) following their kiss over Christmas, and they are both stunned in forthcoming scenes that see them discover news of her pregnancy.
And while Vinny is there to support Penny, she is disgusted by the reaction she receives from her dad Jack Branning (Scott Maslen).
The drama kicks off when the Brannings gather for a Sunday lunch, and Jack finds a pregnancy test and immediately assumes it belongs to teen Lily Slater (Lillia Turner), who is already mum to his granddaughter Charli with Jack’s son Ricky Branning (Frankie Day).
Jack and his wife Denise Fox (Diane Parish) confront Lily about the test, but the mystery deepens when she denies it belongs to her. Penny then ‘fesses up and admits it’s her’s.
Penny admits the pregnancy test is hers (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
‘Nobody expects it, and there’s a lot of confusion,’ reveals actress Kitty Castledine, who plays Penny.
‘Jack immediately can’t believe what he is hearing and wants to talk it through, but Denise wants to protect Penny’s privacy, given that they are at a family dinner and it’s an intense and private conversation to have.’
Later, Penny takes the test and lies to her family that the result is negative, and Jack can’t hide his relief. But when he later realises that she is, in fact, pregnant, his reaction maddens Penny, who blasts his attitude towards her.
When Jack later tries to apologise, he only makes things worse by offending his daughter again.
‘Penny and Jack’s relationship is always rocky -one small move can offset the harmony,’ explains Kitty. ‘In this instance, Penny perceives Jack to be reacting negatively.’
Jack doesn’t react well (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Privately, Penny is also ‘scared’ about the pregnancy, with Kitty revealing: ‘The reality of potentially becoming a disabled young mum is overwhelming and hard to take in. She goes through waves of emotion, just like many new mums do when they find out they’re unexpectedly pregnant.
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‘The more she opens up to people, the more she realises she has a support network around her. She also wants to buy herself some time to process everything and figure out how she truly feels about it and what she plans to do.’
One person she knows she can count on is her cousin Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa), and Penny chats through her worries with the mum of two.
‘Penny looks up to Lauren a lot, even though she would never say it to her face,’ says Kitty. ‘She sees what an amazing mum Lauren is, and out of everyone, she knows she can talk to Lauren about her worries and concerns.’
Penny confides in Lauren… (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
…but Oscar has blabbed to Vinny (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Before Penny has really had a chance to get her head around the news, her other cousin Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) accidentally blabs to Vinny, who rushes round to see her.
Penny later allows him to accompany her to a doctor’s appointment to discuss her options, but she gets irritated when the doctor appears to sideline her in the conversation as he explains what support they can expect if she decides to keep the baby.
While the couple are left with a big decision to make, Kitty believes her character may have met her match in Vinny.
Vinny and Penny attend a doctors appointment together (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
‘He’s everything Penny has never had in a relationship,’ she says.
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‘She has always gone for a bad boy, and the beauty of Penny and Vinny is that they are honest with each other. They both have qualities the other could benefit from.’
Will they go on to become the mystery parents of baby Ethan, who was seen in Jack’s care in the flashforward ep?
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EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 23rd February at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
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