Patsy Kensit has been confirmed to be joining EastEnders as Lola Pearce’s mother, Emma Harding.
The iconic actress has already begun filming with the BBC soap and will first appear on screen in January for a short stint.
Kensit is known for her previous roles as scheming Sadie King in Emmerdale and as nurse Faye Morton in Holby City.
In EastEnders, Emma left behind Lola (Danielle Harold) and her father when Lola was only three-years-old, but what brings her back into Lola’s life during such a tragic and difficult time for her daughter?
Fans of the soap will be more than aware that Lola is currently dealing with an incurable brain tumour and is being cared for by her partner Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) and the rest of her family.
Speaking about joining the soap, Patsy Kensit said: “I’m so excited to be visiting Walford for this storyline. It has always been a dream of mine to appear in EastEnders. The cast, producers, writers and crew have been wonderful, and I’ve had a ball. Thank you so much for having me.”
Meanwhile, executive producer Chris Clenshaw added: “We’re delighted to welcome the wonderfully talented Patsy to the EastEnders family. She’s the perfect fit to take on the role of such a long-awaited character that we know very little about.”
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Describing Emma, Clenshaw added: “Softly spoken and measured, on one hand, Emma is the very opposite of her long lost daughter, Lola. But on the other, there’s a striking resemblance; successful, the capacity to hold her own – if she says she’ll do something, she’ll do it – and she’s a fighter, just like Lola.
“Having spent a lifetime apart, Emma becomes desperate to make up for lost time, but her secret sadness and guilt are never far from the surface. The burden of losing her daughter has never left her, but can she find the courage to tell her shocking truth and reconnect with Lola, or will it come too little, too late?”
He concluded: “Patsy’s portrayal is bound to set off fireworks in Walford and cause havoc for the Mitchell household.”
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