Jamie Lomas' EastEnders alter-ego is set to cause trouble on Albert Square.
The Sun reported that the soap's new bad boy, recovering alcoholic Jake Stone, "shakes things up" on the BBC One soap by embarking on an affair with Lauren Branning.
He meets Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa), who is also an alcoholic, at a counselling session.
A show source was quoted as saying: "We wanted Jake to really shake things up and he's wasted no time doing that. There are going to be real fireworks over the next few months. He is going to ruffle a lot of feathers."
The casting of former Hollyoaks star Jamie, who is married to Coronation Street's Kym Lomas, was announced last month.
Jamie, who will be seen on screen from next month and began filming his role in recent weeks, said he was "over the moon" to be joining the soap, adding: "I have admired the show for many years... Jake Stone is a great character to play and I'm really looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into the role."