EastEnders' Nicola Mitchell opens up about traumatic past in emotional scenes

It was a rare emotional night for Nicola Mitchell on tonight's EastEnders, as she opened up about her traumatic past on her father's 20th death anniversary.

Nicola (Laura Doddington) joined the soap in 2024, and was introduced as the recent ex-wife of Teddy Mitchell and mother of Harry and Barney Mitchell. Since joining the soap, the star has been involved in a number of shocking storylines, as it was revealed she had murdered Harry's former girlfriend, Shireen.

Fans have only really seen a hard exterior from Nicola, and not much about her family or past. However, tonight, we saw a complete different side of the character as she opened up to new love interest, George Knight. It comes after EastEnders confirmed Ben Mitchell's return in first look funeral scenes.

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At the start of the episode, fans saw Nicola looking particularly distressed, as Teddy warned George not to speak to her today. However, when he saw Nicola storm out the pub in tears, George couldn't help but go over to Harry's Barn to check on her.

Despite being reluctant to tell George at first, Nicola finally opened up, as she told him it was her father's 20th death anniversary.

"The other 364 days in the year, I don't give him a second thought," she explained in tears. "I don't let myself. This is the only day he gets, and that is more than he deserves," she said through gritted teeth.

"He used to like to show me off, down the park or whatever. He'd stop and talk to people, and I'd just have to stand there looking pretty, being well behaved. And if I wasn't, when I got home I'd feel the back of his hand. And then, he'd just ignore me. Sometimes for days.

"One minute, he was this proud dad, and then the next, he couldn't even look at me."

George then shared his story, telling Nicola he understood. "I had to walk ten feet behind mine so nobody knew I was his," he said. "But when I was in the ring, he'd shout and scream, 'That's my boy!'"

Nicola then opened up about her mum, who she said she "thanks God" for. "As he got older, he got worse," she continued. "He'd be out till all hours, then he'd come back raging.

Nicola then told George that her father would try and take all his anger out on their mother, so he didn't have any left for his children. George later thanked her for bringing down her walls for him, as the pair then started to kiss, before moving things over to the office.

However, George was supposed to be taking Kojo to Hatfield for his birthday, and due to being with Nicola, Kojo had gone back home where he saw Okie and his friends back at home. As he threatened to call George, Okie gave him a pill to calm down.

Later, George found him lying on the park bench with pills in his hand, as Nicola went to go and tell Jack. Spoilers have revealed Jack has no option but to arrest Kojo, but how will things play out?

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok, Snapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook, and Threads.