EastEnders fans have been left heartbroken for Lola Pearce's daughter Lexi, after cancer-stricken Lola died in devastating scenes on the soap on Wednesday.
Viewers of the show have been dreading the episode for weeks, which came after hairdresser and mother of one, Lola, played by Danielle Harold, was diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer last year.
Lola was recently told by doctors that there was nothing else they could do, and so she was moved home to spend her final moments with family and friends before she died.
In the heartbreaking final scenes, Albert Square was united in grief as Lola's end drew near.
People such as Billy and Phil Mitchell gathered to say their goodbyes, whilst Lola's husband Jay and young daughter, Lexi, held a bedside vigil.
As the sun came up, Lola died, with her daughter asleep on her chest, and Jay came in from the bathroom to find that she had gone.
Fans of the show took to Twitter to share their grief at the death of one of their favourite characters on EastEnders, as one wrote: "Breaks my heart knowing there are children just like Lexi losing their parents to this awful disease, anyone who has lost or is losing a loved one to this are in my thoughts right now."
Another tweeted: "Lexi is making me so emotional. She just wants to be with her mother who she loves to the moon and back. She's grieving for her in her own way."
A third wrote: "A light shining in…. but she’s already gone," whilst a fourth said: "Tonight’s ep absolutely destroyed me but it’s one of the best ee have done, everyone involved did so well <33."
Actress Danielle, who played Lola on the soap for eight years, recently shared her sadness at leaving her EastEnders character behind after eight years.
She told OK!: “I was sad for Lola, and I’ve played her for such a long time,” she says. “It’s crazy that it’s coming to an end now. But I’ve also been so busy because the storyline has been so full-on that I’ve not really had time to think about finishing or me going."
“I’m glad that I finally got to play so many bits of Lola’s life story that I’ve always wanted to do – we’ve rounded Lola up in a really lovely way this year. And it’s been such a privilege to do this storyline. I’ve been anxious about doing it properly and making sure I’ve done my best.”
In April, Danielle spoke out about filming the difficult storyline as she thanked fans for their support.
In a post on Instagram, she said: “Lola’s story has been a very hard one to tell and one that means so much to me and sadly affects so many people.
“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically only 1% of research is allocated to this devastating disease.
“I would like to take a moment for everybody that has reached out to me and shared their experiences with me, I have read every message And hold all of your messages close to my heart whilst playing this story.
"I have been blessed to meet the most incredible people and work with some wonderful charities along the way and I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for all your support advice and love.”
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