EastEnders' Lacey Turner reveals Stacey's reaction to 12-year-old Lily's pregnancy

One of the sick family members was 12-year-old Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) and her anxious mother Stacey (Lacey Turner) waited for news at the hospital as she was treated.

However, Stacey was delivered the shock of her life: Lily is pregnant.

In tomorrow's episode (Monday 2nd January 2023), Stacey must come to terms with the life-changing news that her 12-year-old daughter is expecting a child.

Actress Lacey Turner said of the revelation of Lily's pregnancy: "Stacey’s in complete and utter shock. They’re talking about her twelve-year-old daughter, who doesn’t have a boyfriend, and as far as Stacey knows, isn’t really that into boys.

"Initially, Stacey thinks that the doctors must be wrong. After that, she goes through every single emotion that you could possibly feel in such a short space of time."

Lacey then spoke about the hard-hitting scenes that take place as Stacey must tell Lily that she is pregnant.

"I found it really hard to say the lines because Lillia is so brilliant that you can’t help but feel like it’s real when you are filming it," noted Lacey.

"Stacey has got her head around the fact Lily is pregnant at this point but has not thought much more than that. She wants to try to stay calm and not make a big deal for Lily’s sake until it sinks in for her.

"When Lillia and I were saying the lines, it was so hard to get the words out of my mouth because I’d gone into the moment and felt like Stacey talking to Lily."

Initially, at least, Stacey feels unable to confide in her ex-husband and Lily's adoptive father Martin Fowler (James Bye) about the news of Lily's pregnancy.

"Stacey is treading on eggshells," commented Lacey. "She needs to find out from Lily how this happened, who the father is, and all the details. But to do that, she needs to build trust with Lily, and if her daughter wants it to be a secret, then Stacey will keep it secret.

"That’s why she doesn’t confide in Martin because she’s just trying to get the information and build that trust and not break it."

However, one person who is able to be there for Stacey through this difficult period of parenting is her own mother Jean Slater (Gillian Wright).

Lacey explained: "Jean is Stacey’s rock, her best friend, and they have such a strong connection. Stacey and Jean have been through so much together, and Jean’s the only person who can really properly understand Stacey inside and out. For Stacey to share this secret with her mum is a massive weight off of her shoulders, but she also wants someone to tell her what she should do.

"In Stacey’s head, she’s thinking, ‘Do I just go with what Lily wants? Should I be angry? Should I tell Lily she can’t keep the baby?’ Stacey is just looking to Jean for some help. She wants someone to tell her, ‘Stacey, this is what you do.’"

Lily's young age makes Stacey's approach to the pregnancy even more difficult to comprehend as she ponders her next move.

Lacey added: "I feel like Stacey knows what to do in most situations, she’s such a tough cookie, but how does any parent deal with this? Every parent would deal with this in a completely different way."

Importantly, Lacey felt most compelled to support Lillia through the storyline as it is such a big topic for a young actress to tackle.

"Lillia is such a great little actress – there’s something about her that is so warm and so natural, and her instincts are just bang-on," revealed Lacey. "She’s been so desperate for a storyline of her own for so many years, so to see her have one is lovely. To watch her absolutely nail it has just been brilliant.

"I’ve tried to stay out of it as much as I can because Lillia actually doesn’t need any help, tips or guidance because she’s just great. She’s got something that is so natural that I don’t want to take that away from her."

So, will Stacey get the answers she seeks from Lily and how will Martin take the news?

EastEnders continues on Monday at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Read more:

• EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
• EastEnders' Kellie Bright teases Linda Carter’s future after Mick exit
• Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright react to Mick's tragic EastEnders exit
• EastEnders boss teases story "not done before" for February anniversary

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.

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