EastEnders shares first look as Jay and Honey honour Lola with marathon
Stars Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick will be running the London marathon – both in character and as private individuals.
EastEnders has shared some first-look photos teasing an upcoming storyline that will see Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) and Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) running the London Marathon in memory of their beloved Lola.
The storyline is set to follow the pair through their training process and during the event itself as they continue to navigate their grief and honour Lola following her tragic death from a brain tumour last year.
The scenes showing Honey and Jay running the iconic race will be filmed during the actual London Marathon in April, with stars Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick also both taking part in the event as private individuals to raise money for charities of their choice.
Barton will be running on behalf of BBC Children in Need while Borthwick is raising money on behalf of Prostate Cancer UK.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
"It’s an absolute privilege to be taking part in this storyline and to be running the London Marathon for a second time," Barton said of her involvement. "I’m thrilled to be running on behalf of BBC Children In Need, an amazing organisation that does so much for kids across the UK.
"Their projects and initiatives enrich the lives of so many children, and I’m proud to be fundraising to support that incredible work. EastEnders is so synonymous with London, and it will be the first time for me as an actor that I’ll be able to break that fourth wall as Jamie and I act out our scenes amongst the other runners as we race across the capital in this landmark event. I can’t wait!”
Borthwick added: "I’m so honoured to be taking part in the London Marathon. EastEnders is a London show, and as far as I’m aware, we’ve never shown it before on screen so I’m really excited to be a part of it, although I swore I would never run it again after the last time!
"I’ll be running for Prostate Cancer UK because both my dad and my uncle have had the disease. Thankfully, they’re both cancer-free now and we’re all so grateful for the amazing work Prostate Cancer UK does to support people during their illness."
Meanwhile, executive producer Chris Clenshaw said he was "thrilled" to feature the London marathon in the soap, describing the event as "a landmark occasion in the capital".
"We’re thrilled to celebrate our city and offer our viewers a never-before-seen glimpse of the momentous day through the characters of Jay and Honey as they take part in the event," he said.
"Lola’s death had a profound effect on the residents of Walford and this storyline will follow her loved ones as they continue to come to terms with her death and honour her legacy."
Read more:
- EastEnders airs shock ultimatum for George Knight in early iPlayer release
- 6 EastEnders spoilers: George Knight gets a shock during Eddie’s murder trial
- EastEnders’ Colin Salmon teases Cindy importance after devastating Eddie trial
- EastEnders confirms steroid story for struggling teen Denzel Danes
- EastEnders' Shona McGarty teases Whitney's final weeks: "Drama, deceit and chaos"
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and 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.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
