Danielle Harold, who plays Lola Pearce-Brown on EastEnders, has talked about how it felt to portray her heartbreaking exit after winning the NTAs.

At last night’s (September 5) NTAs, the soap opera star was honored for her portrayal of Lola’s terminal brain tumor tragedy with the Serial Drama Performance Award.

Speaking to the media, Harold acknowledged that the role’s challenging plot and the people she met who had brain tumors throughout her preparation will always stick with her.

As for disconnecting from something like this, the actress added, “Personally, I don’t think you really can.”

You really feel such a connection when you work so closely with folks who are dealing with brain tumors and their families, the speaker concluded.

The patients and families, who “have helped me massively with the story to make it as true as we can,” were thanked by Harold for their assistance in appropriately portraying such a delicate storyline.

Prior to her devastating departure, Harold, who played Lola for 12 years, recounted the atmosphere on set as she acted out her character’s most challenging scenes while watching her body decline as the cancer advanced.

It was quite challenging to slow down her body, including her breathing, to get into that mindset, she admitted.

“Everyone on the set was incredibly respectful. It really was a completely different mood from anything I had ever experienced; I can’t even begin to describe how polite it felt.

Everyone on the set had been impacted by cancer, so I believe that everyone felt so grateful that we got it right.