Episode 6867

The episode takes places over five weeks. Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) and her fiancé Zack Hudson (James Farrar) visit Whitney's adoptive mother, Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), in Milton Keynes, following Bianca's split from her partner, Terry Spraggan (Terry Alderton). Whitney tells Bianca that she is pregnant with Zack's baby and asks that Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), Bianca's half-sister, not be told this information as Sonia is struggling to conceive via IVF. Whitney and Zack meet Britney Wainwright (Lola Campbell) and her half-brother Taylor Wainwright (Mason Godfrey), Bianca's young neighbours. Bianca explains that they often come to her flat where she feeds them because their mother, Keeley Wainwright (Kirsty J Curtis), is neglectful. Whitney becomes concerned when she sees Britney searching for food in a bin. Bianca takes Taylor and Britney in when they are locked out in the rain by Keeley. Angry by the neglect, Whitney confronts Keeley and offers support; Keeley rejects this and tells Whitney to mind her business. Whitney also meets Keeley's partner, Vince (Francis Tucker), who disturbs Whitney with his comment about Britney. Whitney then goes to the school that Britney is meant to be attending and meets the headteacher, Ruth Bayford (Rebecca Clow), who reveals that Britney has never attended. Ruth explains that Britney was withdrawn from school during the COVID-19 pandemic and did not return. Ruth calls pupils in this position "ghost children" and expresses her sadness that schools and social services do not have the resources to find them. Zack gets frustrated as he wants to return to Walford but Whitney wants to help Britney. Thinking that Whitney is putting off returning due to not wanting to tell Sonia about the pregnancy, Bianca and Zack invite Sonia over. Whitney is angry when she finds out that they told her about her pregnancy. Sonia helps Britney when she comes to the flat with an injury on her leg. Whitney assumes that Keeley has been using Britney as a drug runner and confronts her. This leads to a fight where Bianca throws a brick through Keeley's window. Britney runs from the confrontation and tells Whitney that no one wants her. Whitney promises to be there for her and to protect her. Britney then steps in front of a speeding car so Whitney pushes her out of the way, being run over in the process. The episode ends with Sonia, Zack and Bianca trying to help and calling an ambulance for an unconscious Whitney. ==Production==

The episode was announced in January 2024 as the first episode of a two-part special focussing on Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty). McGarty announced her departure from the soap in 2023, with it being suggested that the episode plot could be the catalyst of Whitney's exit storyline. Despite being set elsewhere, the episodes were filmed in the London borough of Barnet. In the EastEnders universe, Zack and Whitney had visited Bianca in January 2024, with the episode showing what has happened over the preceding five weeks and revealing what has kept them away for so long. Bianca had been depicted as living in Milton Keynes since her departure from Albert Square in 2014. McGarty enjoyed working with Palmer and felt like she was 16 years old again. Campbell had previously done an impression of the EastEnders moment where Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) tells Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) that she is her mother, which led to Campbell being cast in the comedy-drama film Scrapper. McGarty had previously teased that there would be a stunt in the run up to Whitney's departure. ==Reception and controversy==

was disappointed over Milton Keynes's portrayal in the episode. Following the announcement of Bianca's return, Joe Anderton from Digital Spy noted how Bianca was Palmer's "famous role". Lewis Knight from Radio Times blamed Whitney's "kind heart" for throwing her into "harm's way". Timms questioned whether Whitney would be "destined" to be a single mother if Zack did not decide to foster Britney with her. Murrer also called Keely and Vince "grubby, drug-addled pair of neighbours" who neglect Britney and use her as a drugrunner, and commented on how the episode concludes "just as miserably" due to Whitney being run over. and that he would contact EastEnders producers to suggest writing a storyline about the positive parts of Milton Keynes, The MP criticised the depiction in Parliament. ==References==