EastEnders Nicola and Ned Secret Threatens to Come Out

Coming up in EastEnders, Nicola will find it increasingly difficult to escape her past as her family settles into Walford, with her complicated connection to Ned raising some particularly big questions.

Nicola has made no secret of the fact that she is unhappy to have Gemma, Ned, Rose and Ryder back in her life. Their arrival has brought years of difficult family history straight to her doorstep, and there is clearly much more behind her reaction than an awkward reunion.

One relationship in particular looks set to come under closer scrutiny. Ned may be married to Nicola’s sister Gemma, but he and Nicola have known each other for many years and share a connection that goes much deeper than simply being in-laws.

There is an obvious familiarity between them, but also something neither appears willing to discuss openly. Whatever happened between Nicola and Ned in the past seems to have left its mark, and having them living around one another again could make keeping that history buried increasingly difficult.

Ned will also have problems involving Ryder to contend with. His son’s behaviour has already become a source of frustration, leaving Ned trying to deal with trouble at home while the wider family adjusts to life in Albert Square.

For Nicola, having so many people from her past nearby means she is losing the distance she once had from them. Gemma knows her as a sister, Rose knows exactly where the family tensions lie, and Ned appears to know a side of Nicola that others in Walford may never have seen.

Upcoming scenes will continue to hint that there are important details about Nicola and Ned’s past still waiting to emerge. Their connection could also help explain why Nicola has been so determined to keep parts of her old life separate from the one she has built for herself.

For now, neither is giving much away. However, with the family remaining in Walford and old relationships being forced back together, Nicola may soon find that some secrets become impossible to keep hidden forever.

EastEnders airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer. Keep up with all the latest EastEnders news and spoilers on SoapLandTV.