BBC Share Add as preferred source on Google Add as preferred source on Google By Claire Crick 24 Feb 2026, 12:02 By Claire Crick 24 Feb 2026, 12:02 Penny stunned by Vinny's unexpected reaction to her baby news in early iPlayer episode Penny is nervous about telling Vinny her news... Jack Branning Penny Branning Vinny Panesar Share Add as preferred source on Google Add as preferred source on Google By Claire Crick 24 Feb 2026, 12:02 By Claire Crick 24 Feb 2026, 12:02 WARNING: This article is full of spoilers for today’s episode of EastEnders, which is streaming on BBC iPlayer now, but has not yet aired on BBC One, and sees Penny tell Vinny he’s going to be a dad. Penny is struggling to get her head around the fact that she is pregnant in EastEnders tonight, and Jack isn’t helping. After his terrible reaction to her baby news in yesterday’s episode, he tries to apologise to his daughter, but it doesn’t go well. While Jack is trying to find Penny for a chat, she’s trying to work out if she’s ready to be a mum. Penny talks to Lauren, asking her for advice on what it is like to have children. Lauren is brilliant with her cousin, telling Penny that she would make a great mum. As Penny opens up about how much she would like to have a family of her own, Lauren is surprised, saying that she always said she didn’t want kids. Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers However, Penny admits this was a cover for the fact that she didn’t think motherhood was for her. But now she is pregnant, she has realised that maybe it is what she wants after all. Jack tries to apologise for his earlier reaction to Penny’s news (Credit: BBC) Jack tries to apologise to Penny in EastEnders Knowing he could have handled things better at the Branning family lunch, Jack has some making up to do. He goes to see Penny with flowers, but she isn’t happy to see him. Penny is still annoyed by his reaction yesterday, but he is adamant he would worry if any of his kids were having a baby and that he just wants her to be happy.Don't miss a single story! Add us as a Preferred Source in Google for all your EastEnders newsIt's important to us that you never miss our articles when searching for stories! We have all the latest TV news & schedules to share with our community of loyal readers. Click here and tick TVGuide.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search. He almost makes it through the apology unscathed, but then puts his foot in it once again by saying to Penny that he isn’t sure if it is a good idea for ‘someone in her position’ to have a child. Fuming once again about her dad’s narrow-mindedness, Penny is upset. Lauren tries to defuse the situation by supporting Penny and getting Jack to see it from her point of view. But just as they are getting somewhere, Vinny arrives. Oscar lets a secret slip today (Credit: BBC) Oscar puts his foot in it – again Hungover after his night out with new bromance Peter, Oscar heads to The Vic for some hair of the dog. While there, he sees Vinny and accidentally tells him about Penny’s pregnancy scare. This is the first Vinny has heard of it, and he rushes to see his girlfriend. But when he arrives, Penny admits it wasn’t a false alarm, and she is actually pregnant. Penny admits to Vinny that she was nervous about telling him about the baby. However, she is stunned when he couldn’t be more supportive. Unlike Jack, Vinny says all the right things and promises to stand by her, whatever she decides. As Penny asks what he thinks they should do, he tells her it is more important what she thinks – showing Jack how he should have reacted to his daughter’s news. Penny is pleased when Vinny says all the right things after finding out she is pregnant (Credit: BBC) Jack (finally) takes a leaf out of Vinny’s book After Vinny has left Penny to think, Jack tells her he will support her in whatever she decides. Finally realising that she just needs her dad on her side. But this is far from the end of the drama for Penny. Fans are convinced that Penny’s days could be numbered after noticing Jack was looking after a baby in the New Year flashforward episode. With Penny nowhere in sight, fans are panicking that she could be killed off in the coming year. Could they be right? Let’s hope not! Everything you need to know about Penny Branning... Who plays Penny Branning in EastEnders? Penny Branning first arrived in Walford in 2008, when she was played by Mia McKenna-Bruce. She was initially a recurring character. In November 2023, it was announced that the role would be recast. Penny returned to Walford in early 2024, this time played by Kitty Castledine. Executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: "It's been a long time since Penny Branning was in Walford. She's a very different person from the one our viewers might remember." Kitty was thrilled to join the cast: "My whole family are EastEnders fans and the inclusion of disabled talent on screen is so important to me as a wheelchair user. I'm thrilled to be playing someone as fiesty and cool as Penny. What happened to Jack's daughter, Penny? Jack's job in the police is sadly the reason behind his daughter being in a wheelchair. Back in 2006, Jack caught a drug dealer who deliberately hit Penny with his car while she was waiting for a bus with her mum, Selina. The injuries were so great that Penny's spine was severed. Who is Penny's mum in EastEnders? Penny's mum is Jack's ex-wife, Selina Branning, played by Daisy Beaumont. She made her first appearance on the soap on 21 January 2008 and was last seen on screen on 14 April 2008. Following Penny's hit-and-run, she and her mother lived in France for many years before Penny returned to Walford. Is Penny disabled in real life in EastEnders? Yes, when she was seven years old, Kitty was diagnosed with a rare, acute inflammatory disorder of the spinal cord called transverse myelitis, which left her paralysed. As a wheelchair user, Kitty is passionate about showing more disabled characters on screen, but not to solely focus on the disability. Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns. Share Add as preferred source on Google Add as preferred source on Google Good to Know Share Add as preferred source on Google Add as preferred source on Google By Claire Crick 24 Feb 2026, 12:02 By Claire Crick 24 Feb 2026, 12:02 Previous Story Next Story
