EastEnders' Johnny reveals heartbreaking Callum secret before Ben returns

Johnny Carter revealed a heartbreaking secret that he'd been hiding from Callum Highway during tonight's episode of EastEnders.

A couple of weeks ago, fans watched on as Jonno Highway collapsed and diedin Johnny's flat. As Callum ran to get help, homophobic Jonno told Johnny that he had a message for son, using his last breath to tell him that he was "ashamed" of him.

However, Johnny couldn't bring himself to tell Callum the truth, instead telling him that his father loved him. Now, Callum's scrambling around trying to give his father the best funeral possible with no one wanting to go.

Johnny's been holding the secret in for weeks, but tonight Johnny couldn't hold the secret in much longer, as he revealed the heartbreaking secret tohis grandmother Elaine in The Albert.

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Looking downcast in the Albert, Elaine walked over to her grandson, to ask what was going on.

"It's Callum," he said. "He's really struggling with the funeral. And it's because I lied to him. I told him that his dad said he loved him when he was dying. I just wanted to tell him something he wanted to hear, and now he's scrambling around trying to give him a good send off. It5 breaks my heart. I need to tell him the truth.

However, Elaine tried to put Johnny off the idea, responding: "Sometimes, when you love someone, you do the wrong thing for the right reasons.

"That boy grew up with a brute of a father. You gave him a bit of light to make his past seem a bit brighter. That is an act of love."

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) and Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) would be making a brief return to the soap for Jonno's funeral.

As of now, fans are unaware when this will be, but EastEnders had previously confirmed it would be sometime during the Autumn. Callum has been heard on the phone trying to plan the funeral, so it can be assumed it's not too far away.

Max last appeared on screens as Ben in early 2024, as his character was arrested for an international crime, but it was revealed he would be released on day release for the funeral.

Stuart on the other hand was last seen on screens in 2022 when he left alongside his wife, Rainie Cross and their son Roland to start a new life.

Rainie's former brother in law and ex Max Branning will be returning to the soap this week. It comes after tonight's episode ended on a cliffhanger, when Peter asked Lauren to marry him in a surprise wedding.

In the ultimate surprise, Peter had organised a whole wedding in The Vic for oblivious Lauren who walked into The Vic in utter shock. It couldn't have come at a worse time as Peter sending Lauren and Penny on a day out to keep them away from the surprise nuptials.

As Peter got down on one knee with a white dress asking Lauren to marry him right there and then - will she say yes? And just when will her father Max Branning return?

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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