The dramatic landscape of Albert Square is set for a seismic shift as one of EastEnders’ most enduring mysteries finally steps into the light. Decades of secrets, mistaken deaths, and hidden births are converging as Zoe Slater prepares for a face-to-face confrontation with the son she believed was lost to her forever.

The stage was set earlier this week with a revelation that left audiences reeling: Zoe’s daughter, Jasmine, has been in secret communication with her twin brother. Zoe’s high-profile return to Walford last summer brought with it a haunting flashback to 2006, revealing she had delivered twins before fleeing a hospital under the tragic—and false—belief that her baby girl had died. While Jasmine had already established a chaotic presence in the Square, the whereabouts of her brother remained a tantalizing enigma until a dramatic cliffhanger this Thursday.

As Cindy Beale prepared to destroy a mobile phone containing evidence of Jasmine’s innocence in the killing of Anthony Truman, the device rang. The caller? A young man identifying himself as Josh, Jasmine’s brother. The credits officially confirmed the arrival of Josh Goodwin, portrayed by rising actor Joshua Vaughn.

Vaughn has already been spotted filming at the EastEnders studios, offering fans a first glimpse of the character who will undoubtedly become central to the Slater family’s next chapter. Clad in a black puffer jacket and seen navigating scenes near the new Walford Crown Court, Vaughn’s debut appears intrinsically linked to Jasmine’s upcoming murder trial. Set photos suggest an emotional courtroom reunion is on the horizon, with Michelle Ryan’s Zoe Slater finally meeting the now 20-year-old son she placed for adoption two decades ago.

However, the reunion is unlikely to be a simple family healing. Insiders suggest that Josh’s arrival will ignite one of the soap’s most complex and “explosive” love triangles to date. In what is being described as a groundbreaking storyline, Josh is set to become romantically entangled with Oscar Branning—who happens to be Jasmine’s boyfriend. The “undeniable spark” between the two men is expected to bring serious heat to Walford, creating a web of betrayal that pits twin against twin and pushes the Branning and Slater families to their breaking points.

While the Slaters deal with the ghosts of 2006, another familiar face is returning to navigate a more grounded, yet equally emotional, tragedy. Gemma Bissix is reprising her role as Clare Bates for a brief but significant stint. Clare returns to support her stepfather, Nigel, as his struggle with dementia takes a heart-wrenching turn for the worse. The storyline aims to explore the deep bond between the iconic 90s duo, forcing Clare to set aside long-standing tensions with Nigel’s wife, Julie, for the sake of his care.

As the trial of Jasmine Fischer looms and the Goodwin twins prepare to reclaim their place in the Slater dynasty, Walford proves once again that the past is never truly buried—it just waits for the right moment to call.