Stacey is horrified when she finds out (Picture: BBC)
It was a dramatic New Year for the Slater clan in EastEnders, as Carbon Monoxide poisoning led to numerous characters collapsing over the course of the evening.
According to actress Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey Slater in the BBC soap, Stacey had no idea that something was wrong until ‘people started dropping like flies around her’.
‘Eve collapses, and then Jean goes, and then someone comes in and says Lily’s gone’, she explained.
‘People are just fainting one by one, and after the third person has fainted, I think that’s probably when Stacey thought, “okay, something’s going on here. It can’t just be Eve’s punch!”‘.
One of those who collapsed was 12-year-old Lily (Lillia Turner). Lacey said that Stacey was ‘absolutely terrified’ when she found her.
‘Lily ends up at the bottom of the stairs, so I think Stacey goes into complete and utter panic. It’s at this point where she thinks, “what the hell is going on here?”‘.
While in hospital, Lily left doctors concerned by complaining of stomach cramps. After a few more tests, doctors concluded that Stacey’s daughter was pregnant.
‘Stacey’s in complete and utter shock.’ Lacey said of the moment Stacey finds out about the pregnancy.
Stacey seeks comfort from Jean (Picture: BBC)
‘They’re talking about her twelve-year-old daughter, who doesn’t have a boyfriend, and as far as Stacey knows, isn’t really that into boys.
‘Initially, Stacey thinks that the doctors must be wrong. After that, she goes through every single emotion that you could possibly feel in such a short space of time.’
It is then left up to Stacey to reveal the news to Lily herself, a moment that Lacey found difficult to film.
‘I found it really hard to say the lines because Lillia is so brilliant that you can’t help but feel like it’s real when you are filming it.
More: Soaps
‘Stacey has got her head around the fact Lily is pregnant at this point, but has not thought much more than that’, she added.
‘She wants to try to stay calm and not make a big deal for Lily’s sake until it sinks in for her. When Lillia and I were saying the lines, it was so hard to get the words out of my mouth because I’d gone into the moment and felt like Stacey talking to Lily.’
Stacey feels conflicted when Lily tells her that she doesn’t want anyone else to know about the pregnancy.
‘Stacey is treading on eggshells. She needs to find out from Lily how this happened, who the father is, and all the details. But to do that, she needs to build trust with Lily, and if her daughter wants it to be a secret, then Stacey will keep it secret. That’s why she doesn’t confide in Martin because she’s just trying to get the information and build that trust and not break it.’
Stacey waits anxiously for news (Picture: BBC)
While she chooses to keep the secret from Martin (James Bye), there is one person she chooses to confide in; her mum, Jean (Gillian Wright).
‘Jean is Stacey’s rock, her best friend, and they have such a strong connection.’ Lacey explained. ‘Stacey and Jean have been through so much together, and Jean’s the only person who can really properly understand Stacey inside and out.
‘For Stacey to share this secret with her mum is a massive weight off of her shoulders, but she also wants someone to tell her what she should do. In Stacey’s head, she’s thinking, “do I just go with what Lily wants? Should I be angry? Should I tell Lily she can’t keep the baby?” Stacey is just looking to Jean for some help. She wants someone to tell her, “Stacey, this is what you do”.’
Lacey also admitted that Stacey feels ‘out of her depth’ with this situation.
‘I feel like Stacey knows what to do in most situations, she’s such a tough cookie, but how does any parent deal with this? Every parent would deal with this in a completely different way.’
This story for Lily marks Lillia Turner’s first big storyline of her own, and Lacey is full of praise for the young actress.
The news is a shock for both Stacey and Lily (Picture: BBC)
‘Lillia is such a great little actress – there’s something about her that is so warm and so natural, and her instincts are just bang-on’, she said.
‘She’s been so desperate for a storyline of her own for so many years, so to see her have one is lovely. To watch her absolutely nail it has just been brilliant.
‘I’ve tried to stay out of it as much as I can because Lillia actually doesn’t need any help, tips or guidance because she’s just great. She’s got something that is so natural that I don’t want to take that away from her.’
As Lily and Stacey come to terms with her pregnancy, we’re all left wondering the same thing: Who’s the dad?
MORE : Fans are wondering where one EastEnders character is after Mick’s ‘death’
MORE : EastEnders fans devastated after Shirley Carter leaves Albert Square
Lacey Turner tells us all about Stacey’s reaction to Lily’s pregnancy.
