EastEnders legend rules out joining another soap years after devastating exit
Former EastEnders star Danielle Harold has ruled out joining another soap after leaving the genre.
The actress, who is 33, played the role of Lola Pearce between the years of 2011 and 2023.
Granddaughter to Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick), Lola was a bit of a troublemaker growing up, and was never afraid to speak her mind.
The young woman became pregnant in 2012 with Ben Mitchell’s (eventually played by Max Bowden) baby. She gave birth to Lexi in the soap’s live episode in the same year.
Lola left Albert Square in Newcastle to stay with her friend Dexter. Her relationship with Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) had broken down due to his involvement in Lucy Beale’s murder investigation.
In 2019, Lola moved back to London with Lexi and Ben. As she got settled back into Albert Square life, Lola reunited with Jay.
It was in 2022 that everything changed for Lola, as she was given a brain tumour diagnosis. She was eventually told the tumour was incurable, so Lola tried to make every single day count while her health was deteriorating.
Lola died in 2023, with Jay and Lexi beside her. The storyline was hugely powerful but also incredibly intense. Recently, star Danielle Harold reflected on her EastEnders journey, and how she enjoyed taking a small break once she said goodbye to Lola.
‘I took a little minute after I left EastEnders. I did the jungle, which was so much fun as well. I just took a little break because the storyline was so heavy and, obviously, I’ve played that character for such a long time’.
Adding to her chat with The Sun, Danielle confirmed that she’s now ‘kind of getting back to auditions’.
The actress also revealed that she’d be interested in exploring the world of documentaries and TV series rather than venturing back into soapland.
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‘I feel like everything’s changed, the whole industry’s changed, so it’s crazy. I’ve always said I’d love to do a series, where you get the whole story in one.
‘Because obviously when you film EastEnders, you never know where the story’s going, so I’d love to do something like that. And I’d also love to do a documentary, actually, something a bit different I’d love to do.’
She added: ‘It’s not that [I’m too loyal to EastEnders]. It’s just more, it’s so hard work. Soap is…actors in soap, oh my gosh, take my hat off. Like, it’s such a hard job. And, yeah, I like the freedom a little bit of being able to move from job to job.’
Since leaving EastEnders, Danielle has appeared on our screens in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity, and Celebrity Hunted.
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