Danielle Harold's character Lola Pearce has been confirmed to meet a tragic end on EastEnders as upset fans hit out at the soap's bosses for killing her off.
Danielle, 30, has been an Albert Square regular for over a decade now, with Lola involved in some big storylines, after being brought in as the granddaughter of Billy Mitchell. Danielle didn't have to wait long for her first gritty plot as Lola had a child with Ben Mitchell at the age of 15, with the teenager giving birth during a live episode episode to coincide with the Olympic 2012 torch relay, as Billy was chosen as one of the torch bearers.
Danielle first left EastEnders at the end of 2015, before Lola returned with daughter Lexi in 2019. BBC viewers have seen Lola have an on/off relationship with Jay, while sharing parental responsibilities for Lexi with Ben. Danielle is a real fan favourite so news that Lola's EastEnders journey will have a tragic end, with Lola dying from a brain tumour, has not gone down well with viewers, particularly given Maddie Hill's departure from the soap next week and exits for Peter, Stuart and Rainie also reported.
The Sun reports that Lola's death will mirror that of The Wanted star Tom Parker, who lost his battle with terminal brain cancer earlier tis year at the age of just 33. An EastEnders insider told the paper: "EastEnders are desperate to make headlines and drive viewing figures with explosive plotlines, and Lola’s exit will have diehard fans in bits. It will be a compulsive watch.
“But eyebrows will be raised at the internal discussions over Tom Parker’s untimely death. Some people were left uncomfortable that the inspiration for boosting viewing figures came from such a real-life tragedy.”
Spoilers hint at Lola and Jay having a reunion before being dealt the massive blow of Lola's terminal diagnosis.
The viewer reaction to Lola being killed off speaks volumes about how much Danielle is loved by those who watch EastEnders. One tweeted: "i’m heartbroken but i know danielle will deliver this storyline beautifully. love you forever lola pearce," with another posting: "There's like 20 characters that deserved to be axed instead of Lola."
A third commented: "I don't want Lola Pearce to die. Why are @BBCEastEnders killing off the good characters again? "
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