5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Amy Mitchell sucked deeper into evil Craig Ingram's toxic orbit and Nicola Mitchell showdown with Ned Hawkins

Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) has turned a blind eye to a worrying situation developing with teenage daughter Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) in EastEnders.

With his partner Denise Fox’s (Diane Parish) life still hanging in the balance amid a heartbreaking battle with leukaemia, Amy is being groomed and pursuing a dangerous relationship with his creepy colleague Craig Ingram (Matthew James-Bailey).

After finally disclosing his suspension from work for gross misconduct, Craig announces his plans to leave Walford. Could Amy make the reckless decision to join him?

Meanwhile, Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) wars with brother-in-law Ned Hawkins (Jamie Bamber), Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal) is suspicious of daughter Ash Panesar (Sakira Vel) and Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) has a big decision to make.

Everything happening in the episodes of EastEnders airing between 28 September and 1 October.

1. Denise Fox struggles as she waits to hear about a stem cell donor

Denise struggles under the mounting pressure of her treatment and finally opens up to daughter Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams) and sister Kim (Tameka Empson) about what she is going through.

Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) encourages her to confide in Jack, but rather than finding the reassurance she needs, Denise begins to wonder whether she can carry on with her treatment at all.

After overhearing Amy and Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) having a heated argument, Ash discovers the truth about Denise's diagnosis. She offers her neighbour some much-needed reassurance, but the revelation threatens to bring further tension to the family.

An argument ensues, and Denise collapses.

2. Amy Mitchell drawn further into Craig Ingram's manipulation

Denise attempts to take her mind off her own troubles by playing matchmaker, encouraging a romance between Amy and Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega). Later, Amy agrees to visit Craig at his home, but she is left deeply uncomfortable when he suggests they take their relationship to the next level.

Kim, meanwhile, is determined to get to the bottom of Amy's mysterious boyfriend. Her interrogation is cut short when Denise suddenly feels faint.

Amy is quick to accuse Denise of shutting her out, leading to a bitter confrontation between the pair.

Things take a turn for Craig when he loses his job, leaving Amy desperate to understand what has happened. Jack tells colleague Callum Highway (Tony Clay) that Craig was being investigated for gross misconduct, but Craig gives Amy a very different version of events, portraying himself as the victim and revealing that he intends to leave Walford.

Amy and Denise eventually make peace, but Craig continues to exert his influence over the teenager when she suggests they slow their relationship down. With Jack struggling emotionally himself, she finds herself drawn even closer to the groomer.

At the hospital, Jack and Amy finally clear the air. But when Jack pushes her for information about her mystery boyfriend, Amy retreats once again - and heads straight back to Craig.

3. Nicola Mitchell wars with Ned Hawkins amid her financial issues

Nicola is left fearing for the future of Harry's Barn when she discovers that £25,000 must be raised by Friday to prevent the venue from closing. In an attempt to boost takings, Gemma Hawkins (Patricia Potter) offers the venue as the setting for Davinder "Nugget" Gulati's (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) upcoming birthday celebrations.

The preparations get underway, with the family hoping Nugget's party can provide a much-needed boost to their finances.

But their hopes are dashed when bailiffs descend on Harry's Barn. With a substantial sum still outstanding, the family desperately search for a way to raise the cash.

A fundraiser is organised, while Ned receives news that his former business partner is back in the UK. Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) accompanies his uncle when he goes to confront the old associate, with Ned determined to pressure him into giving him what he wants.

As the fundraiser gets underway, confusion breaks out among the residents as questions are raised over the different causes being supported. Nicola manages to salvage the event, but the family are still well short of their target.

Then Ryder Hawkins (Felix Uff) arrives with a fresh influx of customers, briefly reviving hopes that the fundraiser might succeed. However, that optimism is short-lived.

Harry and Ned eventually return with news that they have secured the money needed to save Harry's Barn. Nicola is relieved, but when she is alone with Ned, she is clearly uncomfortable about accepting his help.

With the family devastated by the failure of the fundraiser, Nicola orders Harry to keep Ned's offer of financial assistance secret. But Ned is not giving up, once again offering her the money she desperately needs.

What will Nic' do?

4. Suki Panesar-Unwin digs deeper into the reason for Ash Panesar's return

Suki becomes increasingly suspicious of Ash and decides to contact her wife Gigi. When Suki admits to Eve Panesar-Unwin (Heather Peace) that she has been digging for answers, she's warned against pushing the issue any further.

Meanwhile, Nugget is delighted by his surprise birthday party, but Suki's probing leaves Ash in no doubt that her mother has been snooping around.

Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) and Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) urge Ash to put the feud behind her and make peace with her mum, but she refuses. Matters worsen when Suki rejects Ash's request for work at the surgery.

Ash then turns to Nugget, persuading him to hire her now that he has inherited the business. She later delivers the news to Suki, making it clear that she has no intention of backing down.

Eve attempts to keep the peace, but tensions soon boil over again when Suki tries to persuade Nugget to reconsider his hire.

The argument is abruptly interrupted when Denise collapses, with Ash immediately springing into action to help her.

5. Lily Slater clashes with Jean over her plans to go to university

Lily seeks Harvey Monroe's (Ross Boatman) advice after clashing with grandmother Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) over her plans to go to university.

She then asks Harvey to support her at a college interview, prompting Jean to become furious when she discovers that he has encouraged Lily to pursue her ambitions.

However, she eventually softens and agrees to call a truce, allowing Lily to focus on her future.

Read more:

• EastEnders star teases "fire and carnage" when Penny Branning's baby paternity secret is revealed
• EastEnders favourite Balvinder Sopal teases Ash return is "grenade" to the Panesar family unit this autumn
• EastEnders announces hard-hitting Amy Mitchell storyline as BBC soap works with charities

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