EastEnders' Emma reveals new family secret to Lola as she vows to face fears
A conversation with Jay prompted her confession.
Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit) vowed to stick around and stay by daughter Lola Pearce-Brown's (Danielle Harold) side in tonight's EastEnders (21st March), after another emotional confession.
With Lola's terminal illness progressing, Emma has found bonding with her daughter tough after their decades apart - and she upset granddaughter Lexi (Isabella Brown) by muscling in on her Mother's Day plans with Lola.
But after a heart-to-heart with Lexi, Lola managed to save the day, and even got Emma to have a dance-off with aspiring performer Lexi. But, with a conversation about Emma's late mother, who she said had died in a care home during lockdown, lingering, Emma was spooked when Lexi asked to hear more about her great-grandmother.
Emma fled the house after claiming that she had to check on a neighbour, but Lola's husband Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) was convinced she was lying. Lola wanted to think the best of her mother, but Jay asked for a chat with Emma at the car lot. Once there, he probed her over her fib, and asked why she ran out on his vulnerable wife.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Jay insisted that Lola didn't have the time for Emma's behaviour, and Emma explained that reuniting with Lola had brought up a lot of old wounds for her. Jay then issued her with a choice, telling her to either walk away for good or face her fears and stay.
Emma then paid Lola a visit, where she explained that her own mum - Lola's gran - was an alcoholic who neglected and physically abused her. Emma added that her mother had never been loved, and she left her family home aged 16 in fear of turning out like her. But she was later contacted by the care home before her mum died, during a time before Covid-19 was even heard of.
Explaining that Lola had beaten her genes to become a fantastic mum, and that she was so proud of her, Emma asked if she could be there for her and for Lexi. Lola reached out to take her hand, leaving things on a hopeful note between the pair. Will it last?
Read more:
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 or Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Laura Denby is a Freelance Soaps writer covering all the latest news in the Dales, Cobbles and East End for Radio Times. She's a soaps nerd with a love for comedy drama, and has also written for Digital Spy, Metro UK and Yahoo UK.