EastEnders viewers were left sobbing over distressing scenes on Wednesday night, as much-loved character Lola Pearce tragically passed away.
The character was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour late last year, and in recent weeks her health deteriorated.
All this week fans have seen Lola's body weaken with her close to death, and her nurse advised her loved ones including husband Jay Brown to say their goodbyes.
In the end, it was Jay and Lola's daughter Lexi who were by her bedside in her final hours - but in a tragic twist, Jay was not with Lola when she died in what fans called "the saddest episode ever".
The character passed away in the early hours of the morning against a stormy backdrop, as Walford struggled to comprehend what as happening to Lola as the wind howled in the background.
But as Jay reentered the room after stepping outside for a moment, he noticed the bad weather had lifted and that "the sun had come out for" his wife.
In devastating scenes though, as he turned to face Lola he realised that while he was out of the room she had sadly passed away.
A heartbroken Jay sobbed into his wife's hand as young Lexi woke up and realised her mother was gone, while she soon told Jay that "Lola did it on purpose for them", suggesting she had waited for Jay to leave the room to take her moment to pass over.
In the closing moments of the episode, residents were waking up to the sunshine and the birds singing unaware of the tragic news about to hit them.
Viewers then saw Lexi and Jay cradling Lola's body and sobbing, as they struggled with their grief - made all the more sad with EastEnders' famous Julia's Theme playing.
The song is often used at the end of huge episodes when a character departs or is given a send-off, and this time it played as Lola's husband and daughter reacted to her immediate death.
Viewers were left in tears, with many admitting they were "in pieces" over the tragic loss of Lola, as well as the "beautiful" episode.
Taking to Twitter, one viewer wrote: "Emotional wreck after watching Lola's final scenes."
A second fan said: "Wasn’t ready for Lola’s death absolutely sobbing," as many called it the "saddest episode ever".
Another fan wrote: "That was absolutely heart-wrenching," while a fourth said: "CRYING MY EYES OUT."
There was also a "touching" moment that left fans "emotional" after Jay spoke to Lola about what animal they would come back as, if they reincarnated after death.
Jay had told Lola he'd probably come back as a rat, but told his dying wife that she would be a fox. After Lola passed away, a fox was shown running across the Square, and fans took it as a sign or at least a nod to Jay's conversation.
One fan said: "The sun rising and the fox at the end of the episode absolutely BROKE me. I cried the entire episode," as another tweeted: "The fox sent shivers down my spine."
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
