Time to say goodbye to Lola (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
EastEnders lines up one of its most heartbreaking outings ever tonight (Wednesday, May 31) as Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold) tragically dies.
Lola, as viewers know, was diagnosed with a brain tumour late last year and subsequently underwent treatment before being told by doctors that her condition is terminal.
The hairdresser was heartbroken, though she vowed to keep fighting for as much time as she could, but her oncologist later delivered the heartbreaking news that her palliative chemotherapy had stopped working, meaning that the end was approaching.
Lola’s condition has worsened over the past few weeks, with nurse Suzanne telling Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) that his wife has entered what are likely to be the final few days of her life.
Her loved ones have since gathered to say their goodbyes, with Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) sharing a heartfelt farewell with his granddaughter, who told him that she loves him dearly, as Jay pleaded with her to hang on in there a little longer.
Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) arrive to say their goodbyes in tonight’s offering of the soap, which will see Lola tragically pass away.
Phil, Kathy and Callum arrive to say goodbye to Lola (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
Phil struggles with his emotions, while Kathy and Callum Highway (Tony Clay) go into Lola’s bedroom and say goodbye, promising to look after Lexi (Isabella Brown) for her.
Jay, meanwhile, finds it hard to say goodbye to his beloved wife.
Over at the Vic, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) invites Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), Whitney Dean (Shona McCarty), Rocky (Brian Conley), Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and some of the others to have a lock-in.
Kathy says goodbye to Lola, as struggling Phil watches on (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
Phil finds it hard to process what’s happening (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
Together they reflect on life, loss, and the tragedy of Lola’s terminal illness.
Speaking to The Sun about her final scenes, actress Danielle Harold 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.
‘I didn’t want to read my final script,’ she revealed.
Linda holds a lock-in at the Vic (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
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‘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.’
EastEnders airs these scenes Wednesday May 31 at 7:30pm on BBC One.
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