viewers are all abuzz with a theory about the 'true' dad of Leela Dexter's fresh addition, discounting her hubby Joel Dexter and his sibling Abe Fielding as candidates.

Earlier in the week, Kirsty-Leigh Porter's character, fiery firefighter Leela, welcomed a baby girl but drama ensued when Joel, portrayed by Rory Douglas-Speed, was mysteriously missing after an urgent voicemail from his former flame Cleo McQueen, played by Nadine Mulkerrin, begged him to back off.

Cleo is currently ensnared in Abe Fielding's apartment, held captive by Tyler Conti's convincing performance, while the rest of her thinks she's finding peace in Bali. The mysterious message led a frustrated Leela to kick Joel out.

A surprising turn saw her waters break and Abe rushing alongside her to the hospital. Although Leela welcomed a healthy bub with a steady heartbeat, and Joel dashed in to meet his wife and child, whispers and clues suggest there's more beneath the surface.

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On Wednesday's (November 6) show, now up for grabs on Channel 4's online platform, Mercedes McQueen, played by Jennifer Metcalfe, has set tongues wagging by popping over to Leela's place and dropping a bombshell hint to the new mum that Joel may not be the daddy, reports .

Mercedes warned: "You need to tell Joel or it's only going to get worse." To which the newly minted mother replied, laden with regret, "I should have told him when it happened and I didn't so now I'm just going to have to deal with it."

Mercedes reassured her friend in the show, saying: "He's not going to up and leave you, he'll understand. He's a good guy." To which Leela responded worriedly: "You haven't seen how besotted he is. All he's ever wanted is to be a daddy and now he's got a chance. Mercedes, he's already lost one baby I can not take another one away."

As Mercedes pressed on about honesty, she warned: "If you don't tell the truth and that comes out." But Leela stubbornly retorted: "It won't. As far as he's concerned, and everybody else, that baby is his.:".

Fans have been sent into speculation overdrive, with one taking to to suggest: "Possible Dodger that's why he coming back in." Another tweeted: "Abe is too obvious so maybe it's Dodger." And a third shared their hunch: "I think she had a one night stand with some random, who may well turn out to be Dodger?"

It has been confirmed that Danny Mac is set to stage a sensational comeback to Hollyoaks as the much-loved Dodger Savage, making his thrilling return a full ten years after we last saw him in the drama.

On returning to Hollyoaks, Danny exclaimed: "After a decade away, I'm thrilled to be returning and reuniting with my incredible co-stars, old friends and a character very close to my heart."

Expanding on his character's journey, Danny mused: "Dodger escaped, leaving a great deal behind. I've always wondered whether he could return and who he might have become in the 10 years since he ran away. Now that he's back, there's a lot to uncover, but one way or another, we will finally find out."

Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am

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