EastEnders casts award-winning child star as troubled newcomer in Whitney story

Campbell played the lead role of Georgie in the acclaimed Scrapper opposite Harris Dickinson last year and received a nomination for Breakthrough Performance at the British Independent Film Awards and won the award for Young British/Irish Performer of the Year at the London Film Critics Circle Awards.

Speaking of Campbell's casting, executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: "We’re thrilled to welcome the immensely talented Lola Campbell to the cast of EastEnders as she takes on the role of Britney.

"The special episodes, which coincide with Patsy Palmer’s return, will showcase five weeks’ worth of storyline as we follow Whitney and Zack during their time in Milton Keynes, but it’s not long before the pair are thrust into the heart of the drama after Whitney grows concerned for Britney’s wellbeing."

Scrapper director Charlotte Regan told RadioTimes.com last year that EastEnders indirectly helped cast Campbell in Scrapper, as the young actress's impersonation of the iconic EastEnders moment in which Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) revealed she was Zoe's (Michelle Ryan) mother proved Campbell was the perfect fit for the character of Georgie.

"She does this incredible... you know the famous scene in EastEnders where Kat is like 'I'm not your mum'? It's like a big EastEnders scene, but Lola recreates the entire scene, every single character," revealed Regan.

Now, in a special EastEnders episode set in Milton Keynes and taking place over five weeks, Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) and partner Zack Hudson (James Farrar) will visit her adopted mother Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) but soon get caught up in the troubles of a local child.

Whitney forms a bond with Britney, whose mother Keeley Wainwright (Kirsty J Curtis) is struggling with addiction and neglecting Britney and her brother Taylor.

Soon Whitney gets caught up in the dramas of Britney’s family and confronts Keeley about her neglect of Britney, resulting in a chain of events that ends with pregnant Whitney being hit by a car.

While it seems Whitney and her unborn child will be OK, she shows no sign of being deterred from being there for Whitney.

Zack is less keen on taking on the burdens of young Britney, but Whitney is adamant she wants to help, and soon Zack returns to Walford alone.

Will this be the end of Whitney and Zack?

Fans are aware that actress Shona McGarty is departing the soap in the coming weeks after quitting her role as Whitney after 14 years.

So, could Britney’s arrival be the catalyst for Whitney’s exit from EastEnders?

Speaking last year, McGarty made clear that she believes Whitney deserves a happy ending after years of hardship.

McGarty told Inside Soap: "As a viewer, and after playing her for so long, Whitney deserves a happy ending. The majority of comments online and when I speak to people in the street are along the lines of, 'When is Whitney going to have her happy ending?' and I think it's time.

"Don't get me wrong, I want it to be dramatic! Everyone knows that I love playing the drama. So, I hope there are some twists and turns thrown in there and maybe even a little stunt!

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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