EastEnders' Penny and Priya make dangerous pact - here's what happens next

EastEnders' Penny Branning and Priya Nandra-Hart have struck a dangerous pact as both women are keeping secrets about their pregnancies.

Penny has just welcomed a baby with Vinny Panesar, though she's been harbouring doubts about the child's paternity. Before she could share the truth with Vinny, on his 30th birthday of all days, Penny went into labour and is now keen to make things official and name their son through the Sikh ceremony of Naam Karan.

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In new scenes airing this evening (17 September), Lauren Branning dropped hints with her cousin to make sure the new mum had parked her plan to be honest with Vinny.

At the market, a guilt-ridden Priya had to listen to her fiancé Ravi talking enthusiastically about becoming a dad at the same time as Vinny. Priya knows that her unborn child is not Ravi's but her boss Max Branning's, though she chose to keep the truth from both.

Unable to face their family at the Naam Karan, Priya feigned a sickness with Ravi.

Meanwhile at the hospital, Suki led the ceremony, with both sides of the family coming together to pick a name for the new addition, who was named Ethan Singh Branning-Panesar.

While Penny appeared to have put the idea to speak with Vinny behind her, Priya didn't let her forget about it.

Fans know that Priya overheard Penny and Lauren discussing the baby's paternity at the hospital. Visiting Penny in tonight's scenes, Priya didn't waste time before confronting her about Ethan's paternity.

"You can't tell him, Priya, please," Penny begged her.

She admitted to having slept with "some nobody" before she and Vinny got serious.

"And I didn't wanna tell him, I didn't wanna break his heart," Penny said, insisting she didn't want to blow the family apart before they had the chance to be happy.

Priya promised she wouldn't tell anyone, raising Penny's suspicions about why she would do her such a big favour.

Penny connected the dots, realising that Priya was carrying Max's baby. Priya initially denied it, but then was forced to spill the beans.

"Oh, this is a mess," Penny said before the two women agreed to keep each other's secret.

"We've both got a lot to lose," Penny said, as Priya reassured her: "And we ain't gonna lose any of it."

Spoilers have teased that the paternity of Priya's baby won't stay under wraps for long as Cindy Beale discovers the DNA test confirming that Max is the father.

Furious, Cindy issues an ultimatum to Priya, threatening to expose her to Ravi if she doesn't leave Walford.

EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

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