A new death theory has been shared about EastEnders by fans, but they don’t think it’s Penny Branning who meets a sad fate.

For months, fans have wondered if Penny will be killed off, after a flashforward teased her being AWOL in January 2027. With Jack Branning seemingly caring for a baby boy named Ethan, fans wondered if the baby was Penny’s and if Jack was carer as Penny had died.

When Penny’s pregnancy was recently confirmed, it sparked concern that their theory was true. So is baby Ethan the future child of Penny, and does her absence in the flashforward episode mean she dies?

Fans are not so sure anymore, instead thinking this is a red herring. They believe someone else will die before January 2027, and that Jack is caring for Ethan while Penny is either off the rails or in hospital.

The new death theory is that Vinny Panesar, the father of Penny’s baby, will end up losing his life as part of the crime plot involving Vinny’s brother Ravi Gulati and Mark Fowler Jr. Will the Brannings get involved too, and might Vinny get caught in the crossfire?

One fan said: “Penny dying is a red herring. We can see that if Penny were to die no way would Vinny leave his child with Jack. But what I can see is Vinny dying, Penny not being able to cope and leaving baby Ethan with Jack.”

Another said: “I have a feeling it’s not Penny that dies, but Vinny. Her support is taken away from her because he is caught in the crossfire between Ravi and the drug lord which was ultimately okayed by Jack.

“Penny falls into a deep depression leaving Jack to take care of Ethan. I think the downfall of Ravi will really begin when his brother dies and he is excommunicated from the Panesar family for good.

“The final nail will be finding out Max has been sleeping with a pregnant Priya, prompting him to kidnap his children.” A third viewer posted: “They want us to think Penny is gone but it will be a red herring.

Another added: “I personally thought Jack was mostly depressed due to it being the 10th anniversary of Ronnie’s death – him looking at a wedding ring. Plus Lauren’s comment about that specific day being hard for him. I’m not sure he looked as broken as he would be if one of his daughters had recently died (baby Ethan looks to be no more than a couple of months old), and it would also be a bit strange if Max was going ahead with a wedding soon after the death of one of his nieces.”

A final post read: “That’s why I am leaning towards Vinny being dead and Penny being in a coma/recovering in hospital. If she is the sole parent left then it would make sense for Jack as her dad to have temporary custody while she recovers.

“We didn’t see any of the Panesars in the episode so we don’t know if they are grieving, or indeed if they are sharing responsibility for caring for the baby. Vinny could of course also be seriously injured rather than killed off.”