EastEnders has just revealed Ricky Junior is the father of Lily Slater’s baby.
Like Lily, Ricky is just 12 years old, but who are his parents? And who plays him?
Find out all about Ricky Mitchell in EastEnders here.
Who are Ricky Junior’s parents in EastEnders?
Richard ‘Ricky’ Mitchell – also known as Ricky Junior – is Sam Mitchell’s son.
Sam fell pregnant in 2009 while she was in a relationship with Ricky Butcher.
However, she was also having an affair with Jack Branning at the time.
Sam’s pregnancy was revealed while she was in prison for her part in Dirty Den’s murder.
She gave birth in 2010 and insisted Ricky was the father. Sam decided to give him up for adoption, but mum Peggy convinced her otherwise.
Sam decided to name him Richard and use him to win Ricky back from Bianca.
However, Sam still had no idea who the real dad was.
A DNA test confirmed Ricky was in fact Richard Junior’s dad, but a suspicious Bianca called the clinic and discovered Sam had lied!
When Jack was revealed as the daddy, his partner Ronnie paid Sam to leave with the baby.
Although she initially intended to give the baby to Jack and leave on her own, Ronnie persuaded her to take Richard with her.
Sam left to live with Grant in Portugal and changed Ricky’s name back to Mitchell.
When she returned in 2016 for Peggy’s funeral, it was clear she was struggling being a mum.
She abandoned Ricky with his dad and hasn’t had contact with him since.
How many children does Jack have?
Jack Branning has three children.
He has daughter Penny from his first marriage, off-screen, to Selina.
Penny is paralysed from the waist down due to being hit by a car. The accident was a deliberate retaliation after Jack sent a drug dealer to prison.
Penny lives in France and is now 24. She was last seen in Walford in 2015.
Jack is also dad to Amy Mitchell, whose mother was Roxy – Sam’s cousin.
He raises Amy after Roxy’s death in 2017.
Ricky Junior in EastEnders is Jack’s only living son.
Jack was also dad to James Branning with Ronnie Mitchell. James died of cot death days after his birth in 2010.
Jack has several step-children. His stepson with Ronnie, Matthew, lives with his dad in Ireland.
Meanwhile, he is also stepdad to wife Denise’s children, Chelsea, Libby and Raymond.
How old is Ricky?
Ricky was born on September 2 2010.
That makes him 12 years old. He will be 13 this year.
Has EastEnders recast Ricky Mitchell? Who plays him?
From 2016 to 2018 Ricky was played by Henri Charles.
Frankie Day took over the role in 2018.
He first appeared on screen in August of that year when Ricky hurt his ankle playing football. It ruined his dad’s romantic afternoon with then-girlfriend Mel Owen.
Actor Frankie’s age isn’t known, but his agent’s website suggests his playing age is nine to 11.
Fans were shocked back in April when Ricky appeared on screen and looked much older than the last time they saw him.
“Ricky has aged about 10 years,” wrote one on Twitter.
“Is that a new actor for Ricky or has it just been a while since he’s been on screen?” queried another.
Someone else said: “Since when did Ricky get that tall?!”
“New Ricky! Just in time for Sam’s return,” said a fourth.
In fact, Ricky hadn’t been recast at all, he’d just not been on screen for a while and had grown!
Ricky Junior is the father of Lily’s baby in EastEnders
On Wednesday January 4, 2023, Lily Slater confessed who the father of her baby was.
The 12-year-old was revealed to be pregnant during the New Year episodes and fans were left questioning who the dad was.
Many dark theories about Lily’s baby daddy circulated, including that it was Freddie Slater, who is 19.
On Tuesday January 3 Lily was questioned by the police and social services over what had happened as they feared she had been abused.
But viewers discovered that Ricky was the dad after she confessed to mum Stacey and grandma Jean. However, Lily has insisted she does not want Ricky to ever find out about the baby.
So what happens next?
EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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