EASTENDERS star Danielle Harold has opened up about her character’s heartbreaking brain tumour storyline – and admits it’s given her a new appreciation to just live her life.
Danielle, 30, who has played Albert Square’s Lola Pearce on and off since 2011, has been talking to people living with brain tumours as well as families who have tragically lost loved ones.
Danielle Harold has opened up about filming her difficult exit storyline
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Bosses are working closely with Brain Tumour Research and Macmillan Cancer Support to make sure they get the storyline right and Danielle hopes it will help raise awareness and much needed funds.
Speaking about the moment she discovered what they had planned for Lola, she said: “I was so nervous when they first told me because it’s such a big story and the plans they have are so big.
“And because of the issues surrounding it, and all those people who are going through it at the moment, it really got my heart going. I just want to do it as best I can for people going through it and their families.
“There’s a huge responsibly with a storyline like this.It’s going to be a really long and emotional story, it’s really heavy. It’s a brain tumour and then it’s surgery.
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“What I’ve found is that it’s been really full on really quickly. I have spoken to a number of people who have brain tumours as well as their families.
“We are working with Brain Tumour Research and Macmillan as well, they have been incredible. I could not have done this story without their help and how amazing the support from the people that have come and spoken to me has been, it’s harrowing.
“It’s been so horrible but a real blessing at the same time because it just gives you this appreciation of life. We are trying to be as realistic as we can, as a show that’s our duty we have to keep it as real as we can.”
Viewers were left heartbroken this month when Lola discovered that her brain tumour was terminal – and there was nothing more they can do for her.
Her boyfriend Jay Brown, played by Jamie Borthwick, 28, broke down as he realised Lola had no other viable options to get rid of the tumour.
Danielle added: “Talking to some of the people that have been through it, or those that have lost people that have been through it, one thing they all say is how important it is that they keep being themselves.
“They try and keep themselves, their personalities are still there, it doesn’t make you a different person, you are still you.
“So it’s nice that they’ve kept those elements of Lola through the story as well, and that they’ve kept it nice at light at some points, which I think is important for the viewers.
“There’s nice elements of Christmas definitely. It’s all a rollercoaster, like with any illness, in life you get the highs and you get lows, that’s why it’s such an up and down story for us to film.
“We are trying to be as realistic as we can, as a show that’s our duty we have to keep it as real as we can.”
Danielle is still waiting to find out where the storyline will go as it’s changing all the time to reflect the medical research.
She said: “We’ve not gone that far yet because it’s such an in depth story with the research, what’s been really lovely, is that the bosses have taken it really slow to make sure that everything’s done right with the research team and all the families that we are meeting, so we’re taking it as it comes with the research and medical research as well.
“As we find out more with the research, hearing different stories along the way, they’ve being great at weaving in extra bits, and showing all the different aspects of Lola’s journey.
“It’s not just one persons point of view, or one age group, it’s about how something like this impacts on everyone.”
Danielle is hoping that the storyline will help raise awareness and bring in much needed funds for research into brain tumours.
She said: “There’s so little money going into the research. It would be my absolute dream if anything came out of this storyline, would be for the more research and funding into brain tumours.”
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