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Elaine's new man makes himself at home in the Vic, but how will Linda react? Ian and Bobby return to the square, but their arrival doesn't quite go to plan.

Linda avoids the kitchen when she overhears Jason talking with the family. Lee quips Elaine鈥檚 the same age as Jason鈥檚 mum. Elaine saucily drags Jason back to bed, smirking at Aunt Babe. Babe questions Jason鈥檚 true intentions but Linda insists Elaine鈥檚 a good judge of character. Elaine announces she鈥檚 taking Jason shopping for new clothes, but Jason gives Elaine cash to treat herself instead and wants to get to know the family. Uneasy, Linda exits. When Jason asks Babe for mince to make Elaine鈥檚 favourite chilli, Babe sneers Jason鈥檚 laying it on a bit thick. Jason claims he likes an older woman, leaving Babe flustered. While Jason cooks, he tells Nancy he doesn鈥檛 want the family to think he鈥檚 a freeloader. Nancy burns her mouth tasting chilli and Jason rushes to help. Linda walks in, overreacts and orders him away from Nancy - he doesn鈥檛 fool her the way he fooled Elaine. Angry, Elaine questions if Linda would feel differently if Jason was the same age as her. Linda denies it, pointing out they know nothing about Jason.

Elaine feels young with Jason and doesn鈥檛 know if they鈥檒l last but wants Linda to be happy for her. Linda can鈥檛 and Elaine declares they鈥檙e leaving. Mick wants to know why Linda overreacted. Linda admits having a strange man around put her on edge and despairs she鈥檒l never trust anyone again. Mick knows that upsetting Elaine won鈥檛 make Linda happy and grills Jason about the engagement. Jason swears he never wants to be without Elaine and Mick warns Jason鈥檚 marrying the whole family. When Jason offers to find his own flat and job to prove he鈥檚 genuine, Linda agrees he can stay. As they get ready for bed, Mick tells Linda he鈥檚 booked swimming lessons; things become passionate but Linda pulls away. There鈥檚 a sudden crash from downstairs. Brandishing a baseball bat, Mick warns the intruder to come out of the kitchen. A sheepish Jason appears, naked. Linda鈥檚 horrified the figure with him isn鈥檛 Elaine - it鈥檚 Babe.

On the market, Stacey鈥檚 dwelling on a scan letter when she clocks Kush walking Shabnam to the Minute Mart. Kush鈥檚 concerned she鈥檚 not ready to return to work. Shabnam insists she is but has a wobble when she鈥檚 faced with a delivery of baby magazines. Martin wants to come to the scan but Stacey doesn鈥檛 see the point in going. Shabnam angrily berates Stacey - if something goes wrong she鈥檒l never forgive herself. Stacey agrees to go alone and Martin reminds her to get a photo. Later, Stacey returns, clutching her scan photo; she almost bins it then goes to see Shabnam. Stacey thanks Shabnam for making her keep her appointment then starts to cry. Stacey apologises for not seeing her since Zaair鈥檚 funeral but didn鈥檛 know what to say. Shabnam admits she and Kush haven鈥檛 spoken about it either and tells Stacey how it hard it was to act restrained when all she wanted to do was scream. Stacey and Shabnam promise not to avoid each other anymore. Stacey lies to disappointed Martin that she couldn鈥檛 get a scan photo, and hides it in a drawer. In the Minute Mart, Shabnam rips up a baby magazine.

Ian and Bobby return home. Bobby heads to the cafe in search of Jane, arriving in time to hear reporter Beth Kennedy pestering for Jane鈥檚 thoughts on Max鈥檚 conviction given their affair. Bobby flees. A stricken Jane heads home, panicking Bobby鈥檚 not there. Dot brings him home, to Jane鈥檚 relief. Jane promises nothing happened with Max but Bobby wishes Jane wasn鈥檛 his mum and angrily kicks the coffee table, smashing a bowl. Ian shouts at Bobby to stop acting like a spoilt brat. Later, Sharon berates Ian for leaving Jane to deal with the trial alone. Ian reveals he was in court for the verdict but Sharon鈥檚 disgusted he snuck out again and shouts Jane deserves better. Later, Bobby frostily rejects Jane鈥檚 offer to tuck him into bed but asks to put flowers on Lucy鈥檚 grave. Ian promises to make everything all right for Jane and Bobby. Alone, he writes Jane a letter鈥�

Ben鈥檚 brooding that Phil鈥檚 not been in touch all weekend. Abi thinks he wouldn鈥檛 miss Jay鈥檚 21st birthday. Ben meets Paul and frets Phil鈥檚 been missing since he saw them together. Paul comforts Ben, who leans in for a kiss then angrily pulls away, hissing their relationship鈥檚 ruined everything - it鈥檚 over.

5 months left to watch

30 minutes

Audio described

Music Played

  • The Skints

    Come To You

  • Mary J. Blige

    Nobody But You

  • Diljit Dosanjh

    Lattu

  • Taylor Swift

    Style

  • Bob Marley

    No Woman No Cry

  • Chaka Demus & Pliers

    Tease Me

  • Rachel Platten

    Fight Song

  • Dolly Parton

    Blue Smoke

  • The Skints

    In the Night

  • Will Young

    Brave Man

  • Blonde & Alex Newell

    All Cried Out

Credits

Role Contributor
Babe Smith Annette Badland
Linda Carter Kellie Bright
Mick Carter Danny Dyer
Lee Carter Danny-Boy Hatchard
Whitney Dean Shona McGarty
Elaine Peacock Maria Friedman
Nancy Carter Maddy Hill
Tamwar Masood Himesh Patel
Shabnam Masood Rakhee Thakrar
Kush Kazemi Davood Ghadami
Stacey Branning Lacey Turner
Martin Fowler James Bye
Ian Beale Adam Woodyatt
Jane Beale Laurie Brett
Dot Branning June Brown
Sharon Mitchell Letitia Dean
Jay Brown Jamie Borthwick
Abi Branning Lorna Fitzgerald
Ben Mitchell Harry Reid
Paul Coker Jonny Labey
Bobby Beale Eliot Carrington
Jason Adams Scott Neal
Beth Kennedy Jordan Baker
Writer Wendy Granditer
Director Michael Owen Morris
Executive Producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins

Broadcasts