BBC EastEnders' Stevie Mitchell's huge secret 'exposed' and it's not good news for Billy

EastEnders enthusiasts believe they've cracked the mystery surrounding Stevie Mitchell's secret - and it spells trouble for his son Billy. Alan Ford, who portrays the character, made his debut in Walford earlier this year as Billy's (Perry Fenwick) long-lost father.

Stevie first graced our screens in January at Aunt Sal's (Anna Karen) funeral. However, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) warned him to keep his distance after he had given up Billy to foster care during his childhood.

Billy was raised in foster care from the age of ten after Stevie took sole custody of his brother Charlie. The two haven't seen each other in over 25 years.

Fast forward to the present day, and Stevie has made a surprise return, leaving the Mitchell family in shock. This week's episodes revealed that Stevie has been hiding a secret family.

His son Teddy and grandsons Harry and Barney arrived in Walford after Stevie was hospitalised following an accident caused by his grandson Will (Freddie Phillips), reports the Daily Star.

In the episode aired on June 27, Stevie received a visit from Teddy, Harry, and Barney. After seeing Will converse with Stevie, Teddy was determined to uncover the truth.

He and his sons travelled to Walford to dig deeper. During a tense confrontation in the Queen Vic, Stevie confessed that Billy and Teddy are half-brothers.

In the episode aired on June 28, which is already available on BBC iPlayer, the entire family gathered at Phil's house for a discussion.

While at Phil's, Stevie let slip about his past romance with Teddy's mum, which was once a closely guarded secret. Billy, in a surprising turn of events, extended an olive branch to Teddy, and the two reconciled, much to Stevie's relief.

As the Mitchells gathered, enjoying takeaway pizza, Teddy took a moment to confront Stevie privately. He questioned his father: "Why did you tell him mum was just a fling? " before ominously warning, "Whatever you're hiding, it'll come out in the end."

Eagle-eyed fans are now convinced they've figured out Stevie's secret. On Reddit, speculation is rife, with one viewer suggesting: "Either Stevie isn't Billy's biological father or the 'why did you say mum was a fling' is actually his mother too and he and teddy are full brothers."

Another fan speculated on the family dynamics: "That would explain a huge amount if he is not Billy's Father. Why he preferred Charlie, why he saw him as the runt of the litter, and why he was absent for most of his life."

The theory continued to evolve, with another adding: "That would be interesting about having the same mother - after building some bridges with Billy maybe Stevie would feel guilty about having a family with Billy's mother while Billy had a life in care (poor Billy!)"

A third agreed, saying: "I reckon you're probably right about them being full brothers."

Elsewhere, a different theory emerged, with a fan musing that Billy might not be Stevie's son at all.

One viewer wrote: "The angry Mitchell certainly doesn't suit him. and something tells me he isn't actually Stevie' son."

On a Facebook fan page, another viewer echoed this theory and posted: "So what's he hiding? I have a funny feeling Steve is not Billy's dad meaning maybe Billy is not even a Mitchell by blood."

"I wonder if Charlie was not his son either. Maybe Teddy's family was stevies true family and Billy's mum was a fling or he was married to both Billy's mum and Teddy's bigamist. Whatever it is it's going to be explosive for sure" they added. Another person pondered: "I thought the same...bigamy first or Billy not a Mitchell."