EastEnders rocked as Lola Pearce dies as family gather to say goodbye

Next week is a sad one for the residents of Albert Square as Lola Pearce (played by Danielle Harold) finally succumbs to her terminal brain tumour.

Although she had been hoping for a miracle cure it becomes apparent that she is not long for this world.

Husband Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) calls in the nurse when Lola suffers another seizure, and she gives him the devastating news that Lola is nearing the end.

Her grandfather Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) struggles hugely with the realisation that the young mum will soon die and seeks solace in the Queen Vic.

Unfortunately, after one too many he has a run in with Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) who deliberately winds him up, which leads an angry Billy to smash the window of the Minute Mart.

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As tensions heighten between Nish and Billy, Jack Branning (Scott Maslan) arrives to diffuse the situation and gets caught in the crossfire when Billy accidentally hits him.

This leads to Billy’s arrest and although Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) desperately tries to get him released there is a real possibility that he will spend Lola’s final hours in a jail cell.

In the meantime, Lola is unresponsive, and Jay is told that her loved ones need to say their goodbyes.

Distraught, he finds it difficult to say his farewells and even hardman Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) finds himself overcome by the situation.

As the others struggle to cope with the situation Kathy Mitchell (Gillian Taylforth) and Callum Highway (Tony Clay) emotionally promise to look after her young daughter Lexi (Isabella Brown) for her.

These tear-jerking scenes not only mark the end of Lola’s journey but also the end of actress Danielle Harold’s time on the soap.

She admitted her final scenes, in the role she has played on and off since 2011, were incredibly difficult to film.

“It’s been really difficult filming these last few scenes over because it does get really tough, especially towards the end.

“It’s such a heartbreaking diagnosis and it’s not nice to watch or to play, so working with the charities has been so important for us because we want to portray Lola’s diagnosis both accurately and sensitively while also raising awareness to hopefully make a change.”

Danielle also revealed that the public’s reaction to the storyline has been nothing but positive.

“It’s such a heartbreaking diagnosis and it’s not nice to watch or to play, so working with the charities has been so important for us because we want to portray Lola’s diagnosis both accurately and sensitively while also raising awareness to hopefully make a change.”

Danielle also revealed that the public’s reaction to the storyline has been nothing but positive.

“The response from everybody has been really overwhelming but really lovely as they’re really supportive of Lola. It’s been so lovely to see that.”

She is also full of nothing but praise for her co-stars – in particular those who played her immediate family – Jamie Borthwick, Perry Fenwick and young Isabella Brown.

“We’re all just so close, we’re like a real family unit – both on and off screen!

“It’s been so special doing this with them and I really couldn’t have done this with anyone else because we just all work in such a great way together and taking on this story was such a team effort from all of us,” she said.

EastEnders airs on BBC One at 7.30pm Monday to Thursday. Lola’s final scenes will air on Wednesday 31^st May.