Her short stint will see the character reunited with her long-lost daughter. But can Emma reconnect with Lola before it's too late?
Emma Harding left Lola Pearce, played by Danielle Harold, and her father behind when Lola was only three-years-old and has never been seen on screen before.
But what has led to her explosive arrival on Albert Square? And how will Lola respond as she is forced to confront a face from her past when her own future is so uncertain?
Patsy Kensit is well-known for a broad range of roles across both the big and the small screen, such as Holby City’s Faye Morton and Emmerdale’s Sadie King. On joining EastEnders, she said "I’m so excited to be visiting Walford for this storyline. It has always been a dream of mine to appear in EastEnders. The cast, producers, writers and crew have been wonderful, and I’ve had a ball. Thank you so much for having me."
Speaking about Patsy Kensit joining EastEnders, Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw said "We’re delighted to welcome the wonderfully talented Patsy to the EastEnders family. She’s the perfect fit to take on the role of such a long-awaited character that we know very little about."
"Softly spoken and measured, on one hand Emma is the very opposite of her long lost daughter, Lola. But on the other, there’s a striking resemblance; successful, the capacity to hold her own – if she says she’ll do something, she’ll do it – and she’s a fighter, just like Lola. Having spent a lifetime apart, Emma becomes desperate to make up for lost time, but her secret sadness and guilt are never far from the surface."
"The burden of losing her daughter has never left her, but can she find the courage to tell her shocking truth and reconnect with Lola, or will it come too little, too late? Patsy’s portrayal is bound to set off fireworks in Walford and cause havoc for the Mitchell household.”
EastEnders continues Mondays to Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One