Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) made the heartbreaking decision to call off her wedding in tonight’s emotional EastEnders (25th January) as her health fears got the better of her.
The big day initially began on a high note as Lola’s loved ones piled into her bedroom to start the celebrations – but she was hiding some worrying symptoms from her terminal brain tumour.
Lola had been having nosebleeds, but she put this to the back of her mind in order to prepare for her nuptials to Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick).
And there was a good distraction in the form of maid of honour Kim Fox (Tameka Empson), who used her ‘Kim-Fluencer’ persona to spread good vibes as well as annoy the extended family!
But when Lola worried about Jay’s future with a dying wife, Kim was able to offer some moving words of wisdom about making the most of every moment with the man she loves.
Meanwhile, Lola’s young daughter Lexi (Isabella Brown) was busy ordering around dad Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) and stepdad Callum Highway (Tony Clay) as they practised a special dance for the reception.
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But soon Lexi revealed how scared she was about her mum’s illness, and how she just wanted the perfect day for her. Ben and Callum shared some words of comfort with her, before it was time for Ben to start his best man duties.
Meanwhile, Billy had a lead on the whereabouts of Lola’s long-lost mother, Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit). He headed to her place of work, where he came face to face with Emma and discovered she had no idea that Lola’s father Dan was dead.
It was clear that Emma loved her daughter, but when Billy invited her to Lola’s wedding, Emma turned him down. Billy bit his tongue, stopping himself from revealing that Lola was dying.
Back in the Square, Lola was in better spirits after that much-needed boost from Kim, but when she confessed to feeling unwell, Kim took a detour to the hospital. The mood turned sombre as Lola was reminded once more of the seriousness of her situation, despite the doctors reassuring her that her tumour hadn’t advanced any further.
While Jay waited at the venue after confronting Billy for finding Emma behind Lola’s back, the bride panicked, telling Kim that she couldn’t go through with the wedding.
Will Lola jilt Jay, or might the couple still get the chance to say ‘I do’?
EastEnders is working closely with Brain Tumour Research and Macmillan Cancer Support on Lola’s storyline, and you can find help and support by visiting the above websites.
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