EastEnders stars Danielle Harold and Jamie Borthwick were spotted sharing a laugh by the beach in Margate as the cameras descended on the coast to film what will be some of Danielle's final scenes. Viewers of the BBC One soap have been left heartbroken as they follow Lola Pearce's terminal cancer journey unfold.
Lola, played by 30-year-old Danielle received a heart-breaking glioblastoma multiforme diagnosis. After suffering a seizure in scenes aired back in October, viewers saw the outgoing beautician played in a hospital bed as she awaited an update on her health with partner Jay by her side.
Then during an emotional scene, mum-of-one Lola was told by a doctor: "The MRI confirms what we already thought, that you have a glioblastoma multiforme, which is a fast growing and spreading tumour." She was told that she would need to undergo an operation in order to remove the tumour.
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But following the surgery and treatment, doctors tragically confirmed that her cancer was terminal and had recently advanced with more significant and painful symptoms. The granddaughter of Billy Mitchell has now learned at a hospital consultation that her brain tumour had advanced significantly faster than expected.
After questions about more chemo, the doctor explained to Lola that while they could talk about starting her on a lower dosage of chemo, it would be purely palliative and that she had up to six months left to live.
On Tuesday (April 18), actors Danielle and Jamie were spotted filming what looks to be one of Lola's final trips to the beach as the character was spotted being pushed in a wheelchair along the Margate seafront. Danielle was seen wearing a white coat, a light purple tracksuit and a large black hair bow, with a colourful patchwork quilt draped over her legs.
While Jamie, 28, was wearing a navy padded coat, a blue top and blue jeans. Other images show the filming crew by the seafront, as well as the on-screen couple enjoying a drink and a laugh behind the scenes.
EastEnders refused to comment when approached by the PA News Agency.
Danielle, who has played Lola since 2011, has previously spoken about the "massive responsibility" of portraying her character’s brain tumour diagnosis. "It’s been a massive responsibility to be given this storyline by the show, just because it’s affected so many people," she said on The One Show back in November.
"Especially me starting the story, I didn’t realise just how many that it does (affect) and just how little awareness there is and just how little funding there actually is for brain tumour research as well. So to touch on this story, it really means a lot to me and the show."
The show previously announced it had been working alongside Brain Tumour Research and Macmillan Cancer Support on the storyline. They then worked with the Hope Support Services charity for scenes in which Lola's daughter Lexi, played by Isabella Brown, finally learnt of her mum's glioblastoma multiforme diagnosis.
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