EastEnders has confirmed that Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) and Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) will finally give in to their simmering sexual tension next week, months after the BBC soap heavily hinted at an affair.
Lauren and Mark's criminal arrangement leads to passion
The pair have grown close through a dodgy business deal where Mark supplies Lauren with stolen cars for her to resell at the car lot she co-owns with father Max Branning (Jake Wood). In scenes airing from Monday July 20, their illegal arrangement goes wrong when Lauren discovers Mark has failed to put fake number plates on a car he is selling.
As Mark has already left to deliver the vehicle, Lauren fears disaster. En route, police spot Mark, prompting him to speed off and call Lauren for help. They agree to meet at a lock-up, where a blazing argument quickly turns into passion.
Lauren pulls away but Mark is hooked
Lauren eventually pulls away from the embrace, but Mark is hooked and later asks her to meet him at the gym to talk. Lauren agrees, playing with fire, leaving fans to wait and see what happens next. Later in the week, the Beale family gathers at Harry's Barn for drinks ahead of Ian Beale's (Adam Woodyatt) drink-driving hearing. Ian corners Lauren, sensing something is off, and asks what she is hiding. She insists she loves Peter (Thomas Law), but the episode hints this may be the start of a dangerous affair.
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday July 20 at 7.30pm on BBC One or streams first from 6am on iPlayer.
