It’s a soap first!
The London Marathon will take place on Sunday 21st April, and two people will be running as part of an EastEnders storyline in a soap first.
Jamie Borthwick and Emma Barton will be running in character as Honey Mitchell and Jay Brown for part of a storyline in which the dearly departed Lola Pearce-Brown (played by Danielle Harold) signed them up for the gruelling race.
The EastEnders crew will be kept very busy over the weekend, as they will be filming scenes from the start, Cutty Sark (6 miles in), Tower Bridge (13 miles in) and the finish lines, which will then appear in Monday’s (22nd April) episode!
Find out more below about what Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick have said about the storyline, and how their training is going.
Why are Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick running the London Marathon in character?
It’s all part of a tear-jerking storyline to keep Lola’s memory alive, as the actors explained to press including RadioTimes.com.
Barton explained: “It’s sort of keeping her alive. A lot of people, when they’re going through [this with] family members, loved ones with illnesses or they’ve lost [someone], people do want to show their appreciation to the carers that have looked after them, the charities that have supported people.
“I think it’s really clever how Chris Clenshaw’s come up with this idea. I just think it’s lovely, and it’s really important to the show to keep her alive.
“It had such a massive impact, and we were blown away by the response. It’s a real honour to be asked to do this storyline.”
The actors themselves will be running for charities close to their hearts, with Barton raising money for Children in Need and Borthwick choosing Prostate Cancer UK.
As for training, it’s understandably been tough, but they’re ready for the challenge.
Borthwick said: “It feels great. It feels painful on my knees and my legs, but it feels really good. I’m actually quite honoured to be asked, really.
“I’m pleased we chose Lola’s storyline to be involved in [the London Marathon]. It’s tough on the old knees, but the on the whole [it’s going] alright!”
Barton, who previously ran five years ago in memory of Barbara Windsor, explained: “I’ve worked a lot harder than I did the first time round. It was quite short-notice about five years ago, when I ran it for Barbara’s Revolutionaries [in support of Dame Barbara Windsor].
“It’s pretty exciting, really, because it’s never been done before. It’s a massive thing, isn’t it, the marathon? We’re a London-based show and we’re doing something that’s never been achieved before. So it is very exciting, it’s very nerve-wracking.”
Read more:
- EastEnders reveals dark Pastor Clayton history in distressing early iPlayer release
- 5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Yolande is traumatised and Lexi clashes with Jay and Nadine
- 7 EastEnders spoilers: Yolande’s ordeal and Lucy Beale death anniversary
- EastEnders announces sexual assault storyline for Yolande Trueman with flashback scenes
- EastEnders’ Angela Wynter reveals importance of Yolande’s dark new story
EastEnders normally airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.