EastEnders’ Lola stunned as Emma’s identity revealed after bully twist

Another shock for the terminally-ill character.

By Laura Denby

Published: Monday, 06 February 2023 at 12:00 am

Lola Pearce-Brown was left stunned in tonight’s EastEnders (6th February), as she finally learned that ‘Nicole’, the new client she’d been getting on so well with, is in fact her estranged mum Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit).

Emma has been watching over Lola (Danielle Harold) and her daughter Lexi (Isabella Brown) for the past few weeks, as she posed as a client to get to know Lola where she works at Fox & Hair – but her sneaking about unravelled in the latest instalment of the BBC soap, after Lola was called into Lexi’s school.

Lexi had been bullied by a classmate, Maisie, over Lola’s ailing health, which the young mother has been discussing in online vlogs. When Emma heard what had happened, she headed to the school to issue Maisie a menacing warning. Emma then left an anonymous note with a wad of cash for Lola, leaving the latter well and truly spooked.

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Lola spoke to Lexi’s teacher in EastEnders.
BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Told by a teacher that a blonde woman in a camel coat linked to Lexi’s family had threatened Maisie, Lola furiously confronted Lexi’s great aunt Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), who was beyond baffled as she denied all knowledge. Meanwhile, at the school, Lola was advised that perhaps having an online following might be a bad idea.

By the time she made it into the salon, Lola was met by Emma and began to paint her nails again, and Emma looked shifty as Lola explained that someone had stormed down to Lexi’s school. Emma had a close call at being recognised when Lola’s grandfather Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) headed in to see her, only to be turned away by a busy Lola.

But when Billy returned with Lola’s husband Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick), he was angry to discover Emma’s presence – just as Lola had worked out that ‘Nicole’ had left her the money and she confronted her for stalking her.

Finally, Lola realised that Emma had been the one to scare Maisie and the truth dawned – this woman was her mum.

There’s much more to come as Lola comes to terms with this revelation, but how will she react now that she’s met her mum properly?