EastEnders’ Lola star, Danielle Harold, recalls ‘disaster’ first day amid Walford exit
29.05.2023 - 20:11
/ ok.co.uk
Danielle Harold has been playing troublesome Lola Pearce-Brown on and off for years and has become a firm favourite with all EastEnders fans. But soon, Albert Square will lose the fearsome hairdresser as last year, Lola was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. She was only given months to live and her final scenes are set to air this week.
Danielle’s received lots of praise for what is her biggest storyline. As she bows out of the show, Danielle looks back at her time on the BBC soap, and this was her response when asked if she remembers her first day. “Oh, unfortunately, I do, for the wrong reasons,” she laughs.
“Obviously I was very new and when you come to EastEnders, there is a lot to learn very quickly. “We film so fast, you haven't really got a choice but to just learn really quickly. But I learned all the wrong scenes on my first day.
“I ended up being on set with Perry [Fenwick, aka Billy] and it was Jo Joyner [who played Tanya Branning] at the time, they started running this scene, and I just looked at Perry. I didn't say anything. I just shook my head and he went 'do you not have that?' and I went 'no' and he was like, 'don't worry, it's gonna be fine'.” “So I had to learn the whole day's filming on the day.
It was the worst first day, but the best way to learn.” Danielle’s current plot has been gritty, full of emotion and let’s face it, absolutely heartbreaking. But Lola’s had lots of other stories over the years, from attempting to rip-off Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), to becoming a teen mum which Danielle reveals to be one of her favourite episodes. “It was such a big day, the live birth when I had Lexi,” she says.