Inside EastEnders’ huge festival-style funeral for Lola Pearce
EASTENDERS will celebrate tragic Lola Pearce’s life with a festival-style knees-up.
My exclusive picture shows Albert Square decked out with bunting and a balloon arch reading “Lola Fest”.
A small stage and table of food and drink complete the set as well as an array of colourful tents and gazebos.
A show source said: “As photos have already shown, Lola’s funeral will be a flower-strewn affair, with colourful blooms as Walford’s residents show their love for their tragic friend.
“But the wake will be a big celebration of the way Lola lived her life with music and laughter.
“The whole Square will come together to share stories and it will make for a really touching episode.”
Behind-the-scenes photos last week showed the cast filming her funeral after Lola, played by Danielle Harold, lost her battle with brain cancer.
Dannielle said: “Lola’s story has been a very hard one to tell and one that 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.”
It was announced last year that Danielle was leaving the role and Lola would be killed off in the devastating storyline.
And fans realised that she was likely to lose her battle with cancer when they spotted her photo framed behind the bar at the Queen Vic during February’s shock flash forward scenes – an honour bestowed on Walford’s dead.
The scenes are expected to air soon.
Hey boy!
JOEL DOMMETT told his Masked Singer co-star Davina McCall that his wife Hannah Cooper was expecting before he told his mum.
Yesterday he revealed on Loose Women: “Hannah sent me a message saying, ‘I’m pregnant.’ Davina was like, ‘What’s wrong?’ I’m like, ‘Hannah’s pregnant!’”
ZOE HAS A BALL ABROAD
ZOE BALL is newly single after splitting from her model partner of five years, Michael Reed, but it sounds like she already has a plan to get back in the dating game.
The Radio 2 presenter has confessed to Alan Carr on his Life’s A Beach podcast that she loves a holiday romance.
Zoe said: “Isn’t it great when you go somewhere and they don’t know who you are so you can misbehave.
“I fell in love with a Greek boy once, rode on the back of his moped. He would talk to me, I had no idea what he was saying.
“I did always like a holiday romance.
“I fell in love with a surfer in Mexico. He’s probably married with kids so I won’t tell you his name!”
Spoilsport.
FANS DO NOT BUY BGT ACT
BRITAIN’S Got Talent fans were stunned when unlikely sensation Travis George belted out a rendition of Stars from Les Miserables.
It was reminiscent of 2007 winner Paul Potts who amazed with his tenor talent.
But fans were quick to spot Travis had already appeared in BBC hit Casualty so argued his shy persona was all an act.
On ITV’s Lorraine yesterday, Travis said: “It’s my first controversy!
“Britain’s Got Talent had no idea about my very small amount of acting before I went on it.
“I haven’t been educated in the arts. I haven’t got any GCSEs.”
He told host Christine Lampard: “It was hard enough to get on the stage.
“Everybody saw how nervous I was. I don’t know how you can perform in front of that many people – especially industry legends.”
Baftas redemption
ROMESH RANGANATHAN hopes Sunday’s Bafta TV Awards in London go better than his first.
The comic, who co-hosts with Rob Beckett admitted: “The first Baftas I went to, my mum and I had an argument because I didn’t introduce her to Idris Elba.
“She didn’t talk to me the whole way home.”