FOR several months, Stuart Highway has been battling male breast cancer.
And as he gets used to fatherhood following the birth of his son, the EastEnders tough man makes a devastating confession.
Nothing seems to scare off Walford undertaker Stuart (played by Ricky Champ).
However, when he was diagnosed with breast cancer in a shocking twist, the character struggled with coming to terms with his condition and even kept it secret from his wife Rainie (Tanya Franks).
But when Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) gave birth to his and Rainie’s son named Roland, keeping to their surrogacy agreement, Stuart was left with no other option than to face the music.
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This leaves him with one heartbreaking thought.
In scenes due to air on BBC One next week, Stuart admits he is worried about being around his son and not being able to fight his cancer.
If his illness came to overtake him, Stuart would be leaving Roland without a father and he knows what pain this could cause him.
As a boy, Stuart was mistreated by his own father Jonno, who failed multiple times to step up to the plate as a parent not only for him but also for his brother Callum.
Jonno was even against Callum finding love in the arms of Ben Mitchell, showing off his blatant homophobic stance when the pair got together in 2019.
Thankfully, Stuart can count on his grandmother Vi’s (Gwen Taylor) unwavering support.
Noticing how anxious he is, Vi turns to Stuart’s wife Rainie and assures her she will be helping him get through this.
Vi returned to Walford after she left the Square in November, 2021, when a dark family secret was revealed to viewers.
This left her on bad terms with Stuart.
Speaking of which, Stuart himself also left the fictional London borough and spent weeks away at a retreat he believed could help him cure his cancer naturally.
He eventually came back to Albert Square on March 17.
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Could his cancer battle help him make amends with his grandmother?
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
