EastEnders' Janine to hit out at dying Lola in heartbreaking scenes

Lola Pearce in a purple outfit and headband in EastEnders
Janine Butcher harshly taunts Lola Pearce's parenting skills in EastEnders. (Image credit: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

Acid-tongued Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) picks her new target in EastEnders this week as she harshly attacks Lola Pearce's (Danielle Harold) parenting skills in front of her young daughter, Lexi (Isabella Brown).

Lola is currently reeling after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour and is set to lose her life to the disease.

In scenes set to air on Thursday, November 24, Lola is heartbroken as she is forced to confess that she has cancer to her devastated daughter, Lexi.

The previous day, Lexi vanishes and never shows up to school, which causes Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), Lola and Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) to go out searching for her.

They eventually find her at the park where Lexi tells them that she knows the truth after overhearing a conversation and reading a letter addressed to Lola outlining her treatment. This then forces Lola to confess everything to her daughter.

Janine Butcher in a yellow blouse

Janine stoops to a new low this week.  (Image credit: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

After the ordeal, Lola attempts to cheer Lexi up and take her out for the day, where the mother and daughter duo go to the Queen Vic.

Lola worries that Lexi is angry with her and things take a turn for the worse when Janine butts in to cruelly criticise Lola's parenting skills and (ironically) suggests that she's a bad mother.

Usually, Lola is never the one to shy away from a cutting comeback, but she tries to defend herself as Janine bombards her with harsh jibes — will she tell Janine her secret to try and get her to stop? How will Lexi react to Janine's bitter insults at her dying mum?

Also in Thursday's episode, Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) is worried that his friend, Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) is being catfished and Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) is determined to keep an eye on her lover Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) as she uses her lawyer skills to impress her murderer husband Nish (Navin Chowdhry).

EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now. 

Grace Morris
Staff Writer

Grace is a digital writer with WhatToWatch.com, where she writes series guides, recaps and features for must-watch shows and delivers all the latest soap news and reactions. She graduated from Anglia Ruskin University in 2020 with a degree in Writing and Film Studies, which only made her love for creative writing, film and TV grow stronger.


You'll usually find her watching the drama unfold in the latest reality series or much-loved UK soaps (usually with chocolate by her side!). She's an expert in EastEnders, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and everything reality-related from Selling Sunset and Married At First Sight UK to 90 Day Fiancé UK. Plus Netflix megahit Virgin River!


Grace also likes to explore new places with her friends and family and, of course, watch and read about the latest films and TV series.