EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders’ Patrick Trueman’s gambling habit begins to spiral out of control next week – and threatens to ruin his relationship with Yolande.
As he starts keeping secrets from his fiancée and a family member gets involved in his scheme, will Patrick’s risk pay off – or will he back the wrong horse?
"Patrick recently popped the question and asked Yolande to marry him again," recalls our Square insider. "But as Patrick gets carried away with betting, we’re not sure if the couple will survive long enough to walk down the aisle."
Patrick adores Yolande and, as a hopeless romantic, he wants to do everything he can to make their nuptials the best day of her life. But Yolande’s suspicions grow next week, and she worries that Patrick is gambling to secure the funds to pay for her dream wedding.
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While Patrick has always enjoyed betting, Yolande fears that with the stakes higher, things could go seriously wrong. She urges him to stop gambling, and he agrees – but he decides to continue his dangerous hobby in secret…
"It’s Patrick’s lucky day, as he wins big on his latest horse racing bet," explains our source. "He’s thrilled and wants to tell Yolande, but realises that this would mean admitting that he lied to her. So, Patrick chooses to keep schtum about his windfall and convinces innocent Howie to keep quiet too."
Meanwhile, Howie is having money struggles himself next week and is embarrassed about his inability to provide for his family when Denzel admits that he has asked Kim for some cash instead of him.
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His postman’s salary seemingly isn’t enough to make ends meet, so Howie goes in search of a second job to earn some extra money. Thankfully, Harry’s Barn is looking for a new bouncer, so Howie goes to ask Nicola to give him a chance.
Things aren’t looking so rosy for Patrick, however, as Yolande discovers that he is still gambling. She is furious and gives her partner a huge ultimatum – place another bet, and the wedding’s off.
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"Patrick is fully aware that he’s on his last life with Yolande," our insider says. "He’s prepared to stop gambling for good, but desperate Howie approaches him with a sly solution, offering to place bets on his behalf…"
What are Patrick and Howie getting themselves into, and could this sneaky plan spell trouble for them both?
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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