Next week’s EastEnders spoilers as Darnell, Mark and Ash return

Next week on EastEnders, Darnell Jr, Mark Jr and Ash Panesar all return to Albert Square, as Jack tries to convince Darnell to get tested, and Lauren assumes Mark is back for her.

Here’s everything that’s in store in Albert Square next week:

Monday 21st September

This Wednesday’s episode sees Penny (Kitty Castledine) give birth, and next Monday she and Vinny (Shiv Jalota) return home with their newborn baby – but the joyous moment is interrupted when Vinny gets a shock call.

It seems Suki (Balvinder Sopal) has been arrested and is being held at the police station, leaving Vinny wondering what on earth his mum has done now.

When he gets to the station, he gets an even bigger shock when he discovers it’s actually his sister Ash, now played by Sakira Vel, who has returned from Canada and is in custody for drunk and disorderly behaviour!

Ash claims that she’s back to see Vinny’s newborn, but she and Penny are taken aback when she reveals that she’s planning on staying for a few weeks.

Back on the square, Suki refuses to go and see her estranged daughter, but Eve (Heather Peace) eventually manages to convince her to go over and talk to her. Unfortunately, Suki’s unaware that Ash has overheard everything… how will their reunion go?

Keeping with baby news, Priya (Sophie Khan Levy) and Ravi (Aaron Thiara) head home from their baby scan, and as they sit on the tube discussing whether the time has come to tell Nugget (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) and Avani (Aaliyah James), they’ve got no idea that Cindy is a few seats down and has been listening in.

Now fully clued up on Max (Jake Wood) and Priya’s affair, Cindy logically concludes that there’s a chance the baby is actually Max’s, and makes it her mission to find Priya’s paternity test.

It’s not long before she successfully gets hold of it and learns the truth – the baby is 99% likely Max’s! Seeking out Priya, she orders her to leave Walford for good or she’ll expose her secret!

Meanwhile, after Zoe’s (Michelle Ryan) sudden and unexpected death at the end of last week, the Slaters prepare to plant a memorial tree for her. However, Kat (Jessie Wallace) is still determined to find answers after Jack (Scott Maslen) uncovers some shock evidence later this week, and she turns to Max (Jake Wood) for help.

The family gather for the memorial tree planting without Kat, despite Denise (Diane Parish) trying her best to get through to her after Alfie (Shane Richie) explains just how much the family are struggling with Kat pushing them away.

A few weeks after Amy’s (Ellie Dadd) shock kiss with DS Craig Ingram (Matthew James-Bailey), the dodgy cop finally agrees to meet with her, having ignored her texts. He blames work for his silence, failing to mention the fact that he’s recently been suspended – while back on the square, Jack reveals to Denise all about the accusations that have been made against his colleague.

EastEnders recently confirmed that Craig is set to groom Amy in the weeks ahead, eventually finding herself in danger when Craig creates an environment where Amy believes he’s the only person she can trust

Tuesday 22nd September

In the second trip to Walford next week, Cindy heads to No. 25 to find her now estranged husband there, after Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) and Peter (Thomas Law) invite him over to try and patch things up. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t go as they hoped, and the pair end up arguing.

Before long, their feud erupts publicly as it spills into The Vic, and Cindy tells Max that she’ll be taking him to the cleaners, demanding everything he owns.

Later, Peter talks his mum down a little, as she agrees not to go after Lauren’s share of the car lot – but will she still strip Max of everything else?

Meanwhile, Priya calls Cindy’s bluff and tells her that she’s staying on Albert Square, despite Cindy’s threats to expose her baby’s paternity to Ravi. However, after an encounter with Linda and Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier), their comments leave her questioning her decision to stay.

Returning to Ash’s shock arrival on the square, a remark about Suki’s parenting reignites the tension between the mother and daughter. Eve steps in once again to help them sort things out and they eventually reconcile, but when Suki insists that she can’t stay as they need to focus on Ria, Ash is left feeling rejected again.

Meanwhile, Amy opens up to dodgy cop Craig about Roxy’s death and her fears for Denise, but when Craig notices her scars and questions her, Amy runs off.

Wednesday 23rd September

Wednesday’s episode sees Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) return to the square, having previously departed when Lauren rejected him and told him that he should leave if he really cares about her.

Lauren is shocked when she sees Mark heading into No. 43, and she immediately assumes that he’s back for her – but when she tracks him down, she finds that he’s only back to say goodbye to his family before leaving for Florida.

Struggling with his return, Lauren argues with Peter over her knowledge of Max’s affair, but she later apologises to her husband for keeping the truth about Max’s affair from him.

Elsewhere, Amy brushes off Denzel as she is drawn closer towards Craig.

Finaly, as Harvey’s (Ross Boatman) birthday arrives, he hosts a party in The Albert to celebrate.

As the celebrations get underway, Cindy finds out from Louie that Lauren knew about Max’s affair, and she exposes her – while warning Ravi that the truth about the baby won’t stay hidden forever.

Thursday 24th September

In the final episode of the week, Peter is determined to patch things up with Lauren as the tension between them continues, and he vows to be more spontaneous.

Hoping to put things right in her relationship, Lauren tells Mark that what they did can never happen again, but when Mark prepares to leave for his trip to Florida, she finds herself torn. Will Lauren ask Mark to stay?

Meanwhile, Denise reveals to Jack that a potential donor still hasn’t come forward for testing. Jack is convinced that it’s Denise’s half-brother Darnell (Christopher Colquhoun), whose existence Kim (Tameka Empson) discovered last month, and he seeks him out and demands answers.

Darnell, who has a fear of hospitals after his late wife’s death, explains to Jack that he’s learnt that he could be a potential match, but reiterates his fears and the reasons why he can’t bring himself to get tested.

While Denise accepts Darnell’s decision, Jack isn’t satisfied – will he be able to talk him round?

Finally, Vinny shares a heart-to-heart with Ash, but as Suki finally tries to put the past behind her and form a relationship with her daughter, she doesn’t realise that Ash hasn’t forgiven her. The pair have a long way to go to repair decades of damage.

Plus, Phil (Steve McFadden) agrees to help newcomer Ned Hawkins (Jamie Bamber) track down a former business associate, as Ned explains that the man may hold the key to solving his family’s financial difficulties.

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