EastEnders' Lucy Benjamin on Lisa's 'unravelling' amid Keanu custody plans

"She's saying that basically, [Louise] turned to drink and to drugs and she would just go missing for weeks on end. So Lisa basically had the responsibility of looking after Peggy when they moved away, through what had gone on with Sharon and Keanu. Louise went to pot, really, and everything came crumbling down around her. So Lisa had to step up and take responsibility of Peggy."

But, says the actress, Lisa's issues spiralled after Louise got back on track. "But I think the storyline I was given as a backstory, is that Lisa then turns to what she does turn to with the gambling, is the result of the fact that Louise does then start to pull herself together, and Lisa isn't then needed as much as she has been needed before.

"So as a consequence, she then turns to gambling because she feels surplus to requirements, almost. So Louise starts off at the beginning in as much as that she's unravelling, but then she does actually pull herself together and then, unfortunately, Lisa starts to unravel with the gambling."

Delving further into Lisa's mindset, she adds: "It's that vicious circle, she knows she's doing it but just can't stop. She just can't help herself, and it's not just online, we see her in The Vic and it's fruit machines, she just can't stop putting the money into the fruit machines.

"It's just this vicious cycle, she doesn't want to do it; I think she felt that she was trying to help Louise by bringing some money in as well, and creating a family unit. And then it just takes over and spirals out of control. But she knows she's [in] a lot of trouble, I think, with it."

To fund her habit, Lisa has been rinsing Peggy's father, Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), for money. This is partly out of revenge for his betrayal of Louise, who Keanu got pregnant at the same time as his current fiancée (and Lou's former stepmother) Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).

"I think she's justified asking [Keanu], blackmailing him for the money, because she feels he's made her daughter's life turn to absolute crap," says Benjamin.

"But also it just so happens that does suit her narrative that she needs the money equally to enable her gambling addiction. But I think she can square it off in her own mind because she despises him so much because of the damage he's caused."

While Keanu is set to try and keep his daughter in the country, we'll have to wait and see what Lisa does next. Meanwhile, with EastEnders currently building to its big Christmas 2023 whodunnit, fan reactions online are now a part of everyday life.

Back in 2001, Lisa was unmasked as the surprise culprit in the Who Shot Phil? storyline, with the character driven to her actions after months of his psychological abuse and coercive control.

Asked about the reaction to this plot during a time before social media was so constant, Benjamin says: "I think the whole success of that storyline was the fact that we managed to keep it so secret. And journalists did play along with it, but I also think the press department specifically kept...whereby nobody actually knew about it being Lisa that shot Phil.

"So the reaction was huge at the time, when it was revealed that it was Lisa. It was huge because I think people kind of wanted it to be her, it was huge because people didn't expect it to be her, and it was huge because of the secret that we all managed to keep. But it was totally brilliant, it was a gift of a story."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can visit Refuge for more information and contact 0808 2000 247 for support. Help can also be found at The Hideout.

Read more:

• EastEnders 2023 summer preview: 5 spoilers from Chris Clenshaw
• EastEnders summer return for Angela Wynter as Yolande Trueman
• EastEnders’ Anna Knight determined to find mum amid Peter Beale update
• EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw promises “big” Christmas for the Beales
• EastEnders' Michelle Collins confirms flashbacks and Cindy Beale breakdown
• EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw reveals impact of Cindy return on Knights
• EastEnders' Adam Woodyatt hypes up Ian reunions with Phil and Sharon

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