EastEnders’ Jay Brown to receive surprise Christmas message from Lola

Danielle Harold has another powerful cameo.

This will be the first Christmas for Jay and his family since Lola passed away from cancer in heart-wrenching scenes earlier in the year.

Jay has been struggling with drug use and depression since his wife died, but the holidays will see him given a powerful reminder of how his late wife loved and supported him.

On Christmas Day (December 25), the Mitchells gather with Jay for their first Christmas without Lola, only for the family to surprise Jay with a message Lola recorded before her death.

Jay is overcome with emotion as Lola announces that Honey Mitchell is going to run in the London Marathon with Jay next year in her honour.

Lola leaves her family with some powerful words, leading Phil Mitchell to head to The Vic on the same night as one male character will turn up dead in the pub.

Showrunner Chris Clenshaw previously explained that it felt right for EastEnders to reference Lola in the Christmas special since her storyline has been such a massive hit.

“I’m proud of all of our storylines this year, but I’m incredibly proud of Lola’s story and choosing to show the acutely relatable realities of losing a loved one all the way through to the end, which continuing dramas, like EastEnders, allow us to do,” the producer said.

Former cast member Danielle Harold won a National Television Award for Lola’s sendoff, and she’s since gone on to compete in the jungle on I’m a Celebrity.