EastEnders icon Lacey Turner on Stacey's "panic" in stalker Theo showdown

Unbeknownst to Stacey, the architect of her torment is Lily's new tutor Theo Hawthorne (William Ellis) who arrived in Walford earlier this year as the former teacher - and bully - of Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier).

Next week on EastEnders, Stacey's ex-husband Martin Fowler (James Bye) and wife/best friend Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) uncover the dastardly truth about Theo and contact Stacey to let her know - just as Lily goes into labour at home and the ambulance is delayed.

Except, the horrifying situation gets worse when Stacey ends up trapped with Theo in the kitchen...

Actress Lacey Turner speaks to RadioTimes.com and other press about the massive week for Stacey.

For weeks, viewers have seen Stacey struggling with having a stalker. Can you explain how she’s feeling about the situation?

"Stacey is really scared, and knowing the it’s someone she knows is making her feel really unsafe. She has no clue who it can be so to think she could be crossing paths with them every day is really worrying her now and it only seems to be getting worse.

"But part of her is trying to try and block it out - she’s got so much on her plate right now. Lily is due soon, she’s still struggling for money and she just wants to protect her family and make sure everything is okay for when the baby arrives."

Does Stacey rely on anyone for support?

"She’s got her family around, but as always Stacey likes to fight her own battles and she’s sort of reluctant to accept any help. Deep down she’s scared but she’s covering for people like Martin because she thinks she’s to blame.

"Having said that, she definitely feels a lot safer knowing that Martin and Eve will look out for her and she’s also become quite reliant on having Theo around."‌

This week Stacey finds out that Theo is her stalker. Can you explain what happens in more detail?

"Theo decides to celebrate his new job with Stacey and invites himself over for the evening. Stacey genuinely thinks nothing of it because she’d already told Theo a couple of weeks ago that she saw him as a friend and she naively believed he feels the same.

"I think for Theo, he’s got all of these warped ideas in his head that ‘tonight’s the night’ for him and Stacey but that all crashes down when Eve and Martin see through him and he has to finally tell her the truth. It floors Stacey and things quickly go from bad to worse."‌

How does Stacey feel when she finds out the truth?

"At first she just doesn’t believe it because she can’t imagine him to be capable of doing something like this. He’s put on such an act in front on her for months and really supported her so he’s the last person she would ever suspect. It’s only when Stacey realises how deluded he is about their relationship that she starts to panic as she knows she’s in danger."

Do you think she ever suspected Theo?

"No, absolutely not. If she did, she would have never let him near her family. Up until this point, Stacey has relied on Theo and seen him as a friend and almost a protector. He’s been tutoring Lily free of charge, and he’s been so supportive with Stacey and the stalker situation. That’s what makes it so hard for her because she has no idea who this person is that she’s let into her and her children’s lives for so many months."

As Stacey’s learns the truth about Theo, Lily goes into labour. How is Stacey feeling in that moment?

"She wants to get to Lily to reassure her and make sure that she’s safe. That’s her main priority in that moment. Theo is starting to lose control so Stacey is going to do whatever it takes to get him out of the house if she can."

Stacey and Jean reason that they’re going to have to help Lily give birth at home? Can you explain how Stacey feels in that moment?

"I think she’s running on adrenaline at this point and she doesn’t have time to process the full magnitude of the situation. Her main priority is Lily and the baby. They know the ambulance isn’t going to get there in time so they don’t really have any other option but to deliver the baby themselves."

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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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