December 4th 2024.
There is growing concern for the health and safety of Lauren's unborn child. The pregnant EastEnders character is facing yet another trip to the hospital later this month due to her addiction to painkillers. As avid viewers of the BBC soap know, Lauren has been struggling with a secret addiction to prescription medication ever since she was injured in a crowd crush at Peggy's earlier in the year.
Cindy Beale, Lauren's mother-in-law, discovered her struggle and has been using it as a way to control her. Cindy has been supplying Lauren with pills to keep her quiet about her involvement in Kojo Asare's recent accident. Despite her attempts to keep the truth hidden, Lauren is determined to get herself off the medication. In an upcoming episode, she refuses Cindy's offer of more pills and tries to withdraw from the medication on her own.
However, things take a turn for the worse when Lauren's withdrawal symptoms intensify and she collapses in agony. Her immediate concern is whether or not she has harmed her unborn baby. Jacqueline Jossa, who portrays Lauren, explains that her character is devastated because she knows what addiction feels like, having gone through it before. She also knows that she is falling into a new addiction, but feels helpless to stop it.
Lauren's partner Peter Beale, unaware of her struggles, rushes her to the hospital for a scan. The good news is that the baby is okay. However, the news of Lauren's pregnancy soon reaches Cindy, who is horrified to realize that Lauren has been using drugs while pregnant. In a tense showdown between the two, Cindy gives Lauren an ultimatum - either she tells Peter the truth or Cindy will do it for her.
Jacqueline reveals that it is heartbreaking for Lauren to be caught in this "you keep my secret, I'll keep yours" situation, especially with someone like Cindy. She describes Cindy as the "mother-in-law from hell" and believes that there couldn't be a worse person for Lauren to be blackmailed by. Lauren regrets stumbling upon Kojo's accident that night because it has led her to this difficult predicament.
As these dramatic events unfold, EastEnders fans can tune in to watch the drama unfold from Monday 16 December at 7.30pm on BBC One, or stream it earlier on BBC iPlayer. And if you have any soap or TV stories, videos, or pictures, don't hesitate to get in touch with us via email - we would love to hear from you. Be sure to join the conversation by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
