A huge new storyline for Ryder Hawkins (Felix Uff) is on the horizon in EastEnders - and it kicks off this week.
The newcomer has slipped under the radar since his arrival alongside the wider Hawkins clan in August. Apart from being devoted to his pooch Budd, and a cracking impression of Changing Rooms presenter Carol Smillie, there's not a lot we know about him.
That's all about to change in forthcoming scenes as viewers will see Ryder struggle to tell his family, particularly dad Ned (Jamie Bamber), that he's gay.
In scenes that are still to air this week, Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) invites her nephew to Harry's Barn so that she can show him the ropes behind the bar. She immediately senses some tension between Ryder and his dad, her new business partner Ned, and so she takes him out for lunch in the hope he'll open up.
The next day, Nic' is shocked when Ryder brings his date to the nightclub, and the two share an emotional conversation.
Next week, an old football coach contacts Ryder and asks him to return to the sport. Ned is delighted, but it's clear that the mood isn't shared. Nicola begins to understand Ryder's reservations when she learns about the difficulties one of his former teammates experienced after coming out.
Later, he opens up to her about the man he’s been seeing, as well as his growing concerns about his dad's influence over his life. Nicola encourages him to be honest with the people closest to him, prompting him to decide that it’s finally time to have an important conversation with his mum.
What Ryder doesn’t realise is that Ned has overheard him asking to speak to Gemma Hawkins (Patricia Potter) that evening.
Will Ned seek to discover what his son is hiding?
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