EastEnders fans think Phil Mitchell is being set up with Gemma Hawkins

EastEnders viewers have started to wonder whether Phil Mitchell is heading for an unexpected new romance, with a growing number convinced that the soap is quietly pairing him with newcomer Gemma Hawkins.

Gemma is played by former Holby City star Patricia Potter and arrived in Walford in August as part of the Hawkins family, the estranged relatives of Nicola Mitchell.

She is Nicola's sister and is married to Ned, played by Beyond Paradise actor Jamie Bamber, with whom she has a son, Ryder.

Their mother Rose and sister Jodie complete the family, and when the casting was announced executive producer Ben Wadey said the Hawkins "share a fierce loyalty to one another" alongside decades of complicated history. You can catch up on how they first arrived in Albert Square if the family is still new to you.

That marriage is the obvious obstacle, and the fans backing the idea have not ignored it.

One viewer quoted in the reports wrote that "even though she is married to Ned, I would love to see these two together", while another said the pair had "immediate chemistry".

A third said they would much prefer the pairing to a reunion between Phil and Sharon, although not everyone is won over, and at least one viewer worried that the writers would end up forcing the romance.

A few theories go further and predict that Ned will leave the Square, clearing the way for Gemma and Phil.

Phil's love life has rarely run smoothly over the years, and his relationships with Sharon Watts and Kat Slater are a reminder that any new pairing for him tends to come with complications of its own.

Whether the writers are really laying the groundwork or viewers are simply reading a lot into a handful of scenes, Gemma and Phil will be watched closely every time they share the screen from now on - is an affair on the cards?

EastEnders continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Images: BBC.