LOLA Pearce drew her last breath earlier this year leaving a bereaved Jay Brown to cope alone in Walford.
The EastEnders favourite met a woman named Nadine that could change everything – and viewers are expecting a horrific twist ahead.
Months have gone by since the beloved hairstylist succumbed to a terminal brain tumour with her husband Jay (portrayed by Jamie Borthwick) and her daughter Lexi by her side.
Since then, the mechanic has been grieving while focusing on raising her daughter with Ben Mitchell who has had his own share of struggles in recent months.
However, BBC One viewers were stunned when Jay bumped into a Lola Pearce lookalike in the Queen Vic.
Actress Jazzy Phoenix made her debut in the London-based program as Nadine and her character struck up a friendship with Jay.
Unfortunately for him, things may not be as easy as they seem as one viewer took to a Digital Spy forum to theorise Jay may be imagining Nadine’s presence as a result of his overwhelming grief.
“I’m wondering if she is a figment of Jay’s imagination and he is suffering whilst grieving for Lola?”, the soap fan wrote.
Some other viewers went a step further – what if, aside from her uncanny resemblance to Lola, Nadine is also linked to the late character’s mother Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit)?
“As long as it’s not something daft like she‘s Emma’s secret daughter”, one viewer quipped on the forum.
While some believe Jay hallucinating Nadine could lead to a powerful storyline about grief, another soap viewer speculated Emma could have paid the newcomer in an attempt to get to her granddaughter Lexi.
“Or maybe Emma hired her to get some compromising pics of Jay to show he doesn’t deserve to keep Lexi. Would be harder to discredit Jay than Ben so this might be a way around it”, one fan commented.
Emma has been desperate to connect with Lexi, despite abandoning her and Lola again earlier this year, crumbling under the pressure of supporting her daughter throughout her illness.
Since her return to Walford, she not only seduced an engaged Phil Mitchell but she has also made it clear she won’t give up on her access to Lexi without a fight.
Could she have taken things to a highly devious level to trick Jay?
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
