BBC EastEnders bosses cast ITV Emmerdale star Patsy Kensit as 'Lola Pearce's mum'

The 54-year-old actress will join the cast “for a brief stint” ahead of Christmas with rumours she could be portraying Lola Pearce’s mum following her terminal cancer diagnosis.

The Sun newspaper reported that she will be playing a role in “one of their biggest current storylines” and is due to enter the soap at Christmas.

Patsy Kensit will join the cast of EastEnders. (Image: PA)

Viewers have been left devastated by Lola’s brain tumour diagnosis, played by Danielle Harold.

In emotional scenes last week, Jay Brown, Ben Mitchell, Billy Mitchell and Honey Mitchell vowed to be with Lola “every step of the way”.

Since joining the soap in 2011, Lola’s estranged parents have hardly been mentioned but BBC bosses look set to explore the character’s past following her devastating diagnosis.

It has been reported previously that Kensit said she would “love” to do EastEnders and play a “strong matriarch” like Peggy Mitchell, who was played by the late Dame Barbara Windsor for 22 years.

Kensit told the Radio Times in 2019: “My father was involved in organised crime in the East End, so I grew up around villains and that kind of backdrop.

“And I can pull a pint and say, ‘You’re barred’.”