EastEnders viewers were left gobsmacked after a beloved character let slip a rather naughty swear word.

The hit BBC One show returned for another dramatic episode on Tuesday (May 21)

that saw Whitney Dean and Zack Hudson get ready to tie the knot. But in typical soap fashion, things took a dramatic turn.

Fans will recall that a few weeks ago, Zack had cheated on a then-pregnant Whitney with her best pal Lauren Branning. The pair had vowed to keep it a secret but after Whitney gave birth last week, adoptive daughter Britney overheard.

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At first, she was planning to not say anything, as she didn’t want to destroy Whitney and ruin her “happy ending.” But right before Whitney and Zack said their “I do’s” in front of everyone, including Lauren, Britney blurted out the truth.

Fuming, Whitney then lashed out at Lauren, slapping her with her bouquet before grabbing her by the hair, and dragging her across the floor. Lauren managed to get up and run off – but Whitney wasn’t done.

She ended up punching Zack in the face and had to be held back – but it what was she said that left viewers at home stunned. With a swift punch to his face, she called him a “b***ard.”

The swear word didn’t go amiss from fans at home. Rushing online, plenty pointed it out and were shocked at the soap for airing the swear word. On a Reddit thread, one person said: “It’s not often that you hear a swear word in a soap. But tonight’s (Tuesday) episode, shocked me.

“Whitney using the B word before the watershed after she found out Zack’s betrayal of Lauren. To me I was stunned. You don’t often hear B word that you say in a script. I’ve heard worse naughty words than that.”