EastEnders viewers were left confused by the name Peter Beale and Lauren Branning gave their newborn baby as they were convinced it was a tribute to a former soap actor
EastEnders fans are speculating that Lauren Branning and Peter Beale’s newborn might be named after a former actor from the show.
The BBC soap has seen a string of exits recently with Sonia Fowler and Bianca Jackson both bidding farewell last month.
Additionally, fans are still adjusting to the absence of Martin Fowler and Reiss Colwell, who lost their lives in an explosion at the Queen Vic during the 40th anniversary week in February.
During Wednesday night’s episode (May 8), Cindy Beale had to step up when Lauren’s ambulance was delayed.
Despite past disagreements. the two women teamed up to handle the situation.
Before Cindy’s affair with Junior Knight was revealed at Christmas, she had been supplying drugs to Lauren for quick cash.
However, upon her return to the show on Monday (May 5), Cindy displayed a seldom-seen softer side as she comforted Lauren in the hospital.
With Peter, the baby’s father and her fiancé, missing, Lauren confessed her worries about how her addiction could affect her newborn.
Lauren successfully gave birth to a healthy baby and Ian, Kathy and Peter Beale eventually showed up,instructing Cindy to leave, reports the Manchester Evening News.
EastEnders viewers were left scratching their heads after a name-related mystery unfolded on the latest episode.
Despite Cindy being there for Lauren in tough times, Peter made it clear to his mother that he’s firm about not wanting Cindy in his life going forward.
The plot thickened when Peter and Lauren agreed to christen their newborn son Jim, just as Cindy informed Ian and Kathy of her plans to go after their business empires.
The choice of the name Jim Branning sparked conversations among fans online, with some assuming it pays homage to Lauren’s deceased grandfather who was Dot Cotton’s husband.
But Martin Fowler, played by James Bye, is known amongst the cast as Jimmy, a detail that die-hard fans did not miss and have been actively discussing on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
One social media user expressed their confusion, writing: “Why have they called it Jimmy? I thought they’d have called it Martin unless is a tribute to the actors?”
Meanwhile, another speculated: “I thought Jimmy might have been a nod to James bye aka who gets called Jimmy (aka Martin fowler) #EastEnders.”
A third person chimed in: “I see some people annoyed by the name of Peter and Lauren’s new baby, Jimmy. James is a Branning name. Jim Branning was Lauren’s Granddad, and Jack previously named his late son after Jim also. #EastEnders.”
