Lola is battling a terminal brain tumour (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

Heartbreaking scenes in EastEnders have seen Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) preparing for her final days following her terminal diagnosis after doctors told her she had a brain tumour.

The young hairdresser was left devastated by the news and has since resolved to fight for every single moment with her loved ones.

Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) has been by her side every step of the way, with the two even tying the knot in romantic scenes after he popped the question over the festive season.

Lola delivered the heartbreaking news to her family that she only has six months left to live, as she deals with the side effects to come with the condition as well as having to explain that she’s going to die to her beloved daughter Lexi (Isabella Brown).

What’s more, the popular character has come face-to-face with biological mum Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit) for the first time since she abandoned her when she was three years old.

Lola’s storyline has been running for a number of months now, with it being revealed that the character’s tear-jerking funeral scenes have been filmed, meaning that Danielle’s time on the Square is drawing to a close, as Lola looks set to sadly pass away.

But when exactly can we expect Lola to leave the soap? Here’s what we know.

When does Lola die in EastEnders?

It hasn’t been confirmed when exactly Lola will leave EastEnders, but it is expected the character will be dead in the next few weeks after crews were spotted filming her funeral.

We do know that Lola will be dead by Christmas, confirmed by the recent – and historic – flash-forward sequence in the show.

In the scene, a picture of Lola can be glimpsed at the very edge of the bar in the Queen Vic, which is common practice in Walford when a resident dies.

Upcoming scenes will see things get even worse for poor Lola, as she collapses outside the gym, and finds that her speech and mobility is impaired.

At the hospital, she is told that her palliative chemotherapy treatment hasn’t worked.

Speaking to The Sun about her final scenes, Danielle described it as ‘the most beautiful episode of EastEnders’, but revealed that it took her a long time to pluck up the courage to read it.

Lola’s final scenes are fast approaching (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

‘I didn’t want to read my final script,’ she revealed.

‘We pick them up from the script desk if we are in work and my final ones were sat there for ages!

‘They kept asking me if I’d taken them yet, and I was like, “No, I don’t want to”.

‘I left them there until I was ready.’

Following Lola’s heartbreaking death, EastEnders has planned a celebration of her life, which they are calling Lola-fest, which all her loved ones will attend.

What has happened so far in Lola’s storyline?

Lola was rushed to hospital in October of last year, after a series of dizzy spells and a serious seizure left her loved ones concerned, with her collapsing during Lexi’s talent show.

Lola was told she had a tumour back in October (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

The doctors conducted a CT scan, as Jay and Lola discussed their future together while waiting, talking about how they’d struggle to envision a life without their other half in it, as they planned a holiday.

But tragedy struck in subsequent scenes, as the consultant arrived and broke the news that Lola’s scan showed a tumour.

Lola was then taken for surgery, after a heartfelt goodbye to her beloved boyfriend Jay, who desperately hoped for the best.

Heartbreaking news awaited, however, as Lola was later told by doctors that, while they were able to remove some of the tumour, it continues to grow at a rapid rate, with the surgeon then branding the tumour an ‘incurable’ one. 

‘He thinks I’m going to die, pops!’, said Lola, through tears.

Lola’s loved ones vowed to support her through her ordeal, with Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) doing everything in his power to afford specialists and potential clinical trials, but more heartache followed, with one doctor telling Lola that there are ‘rarely’ miracle cures in cases like hers.

Jay, meanwhile, decided to pop the question over the festive season and, despite Lola initially having doubts about his reasons for wanting to tie the knot, she ultimately said yes, with the two getting wed in romantic scenes last month.

After the wedding, the hairdresser decided to tell daughter Lexi the truth, confirming that she’s going to die in what proved to be incredibly emotional scenes.

Lola and Jay tied the knot in romantic scenes (Picture: BBC)

Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick), meanwhile, resolved to reunite Lola with her mum Emma Harding, who abandoned her when she was a baby.

Despite wanting to get to know her little girl, Emma refused to attend, but has since been unable to stay away, showing up to the salon to book appointments under the guise of Nicole. 

Lola was none-the-wiser, that is until the truth came out in an explosive fashion, with Emma explaining that her reason for leaving all those years ago was because her ex – Lola’s dad – was abusive.

After hearing her mum’s harrowing story, Lola resolved to get to know Emma, with the two subsequently embracing.

Lola has decided to get to know her mum Emma (Picture: BBC)

With the past behind them and a new start on the horizon, Emma was keen to make the most of the time she’s got with her daughter, given that Lola is terminally ill with a brain tumour – although Billy felt it was all too much for the weakening Lola.

Emma agreed to back off, but she subsequently stopped by Lola’s with a present for granddaughter Lexi, which was a locket containing a photo of herself and Lola when she was just a baby.

That wasn’t all that the locket contained, however, as Emma let Lexi know that the locket contains a secret message, which she urged her to keep to herself.

Once along, Lexi opened the locket to find a note containing Emma’s phone number inside, with ‘our secret’ scribbled above it.

Tensions rose on Mother’s Day between Lola and Lexi (Picture: BBC)

While Emma has become a part of their lives, tensions rose on Mother’s Day when Lexi planned the perfect celebration for Lola, only for Emma to interfere with her planning and Lexi to lash out at her grandmother.

Lola attempted to explain to her daughter why it was important for Emma to be around. ‘It’s my first Mothers’ Day with an actual mum,’ she said, and told Lexi that Emma ‘might be a bit lonely. Her mum died recently.’

However, when she was further quizzed by Jay about her mother Emma clammed up and left abruptly – suggesting she is hiding a secret.

Lola’s mum has since left the Square after her boss relocated to the US and asked her to join him.

Emma has waved goodbye to Walford (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

She appeared sombre at Lola’s fundraising event, with Lola putting on a brave face and asking her questions about her new life.

Lola eventually reveals her heartbreak over losing her mum once more, throwing Emma out of the house for good.

In recent scenes, it became clear that her condition may be getting worse, as Lola became forgetful.

Having left her job at the salon in order to focus on making precious memories with her family, Lola was approached by Kim Fox (Tameka Empson), who had decided to organise a leaving party.

The reality of her condition is hitting home now more than ever (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

Lola forgot the party almost as soon as it was mentioned, also forgetting other important things in upcoming scenes as she continues to deteriorate and the seriousness of her prognosis hits home.

Later that day, Lola and husband Jay sat down to talk about their meeting regarding Jay’s parental responsibility of Lexi.

It soon became clear that Lola was worried what would happen if Ben had another ‘meltdown’, so Jay promised that he would keep an eye on things and support both Lexi and Ben.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One.

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Lola was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour last year.