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EastEnders star promises explosive Lisa & Phil scenes

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

From Digital Spy

EastEnders airs a tense reunion that's sure to be unmissable this week as Phil Mitchell comes face-to-face with Lisa Fowler.

When Phil (Steve McFadden) arrives at the hospital to see his daughter Louise, who was seriously injured at her school prom, he doesn't seem overly impressed to see Lisa already there.

By this point, Lisa has already received a frosty reception from the other Mitchells – but will Phil allow her to be part of their daughter's life again?

Here, Lucy Benjamin – who plays Lisa – reveals some early gossip on what's in store.

What can viewers expect when Lisa and Phil come face-to-face?

"There's always going to be drama when Lisa is anywhere near Phil. There's going to be fireworks. Phil isn't Lisa's favourite person in the world to be around. I think he's a trigger for lots of things going wrong for Lisa. He's not the sort of person that she needs to be around. But in true Lisa and Phil fashion, it will be quite explosive."

Is Lisa still scared of Phil?

"I think she's dealt with who he is as a man – she knows him. But there's always a worry that Phil triggers episodes of things going wrong for her. He's someone she shouldn't be around on any level.

"So she's wary of being back near him and what he's capable of doing. She knows the type of man that he is. I think she's very wary and that's probably put her off from coming back until now. But now she knows she has to deal with it."

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

Do you think Phil's behaviour is to blame for how Lisa has acted these past few years, especially turning her back on Louise?

"I think it is. I don't think she's ever really truly dealt with him initially taking her child away from her. I think that's caused all of the problems going on in her life. The fact he got her into a state where she handed that child over. She did it, not freely, but she allowed herself to hand Louise as a baby over to Phil. I think she blames him for that and has never really dealt with it. It's very much why Lisa is the way she is today."

Could they ever put the past behind them?

"Never say never. I think adults should be able to sit in a room and talk about what it is that's so wrong between them so they put that child first. I don't think Phil and Lisa can ever be the best of friends or see eye-to-eye, but for the sake of their child, they should be grown-ups."

Why is Lisa back now?

"Lisa is back because Sonia has called her after the nasty incident at the school prom. I think Sonia feels Louise needs her to be there. Louise has actually asked for her mum in a state of upset, she was a bit delirious. So I think Sonia realised it's time that mum should be there, really. Lisa should be given the choice about whether or not she wants to be involved."

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

What reception is she going to get from everyone?

"I don't think it's going to be a great reception. On the whole, they think Lisa's been a bad mum, as she's not been there for Louise. But I also think Lisa hasn't been informed about what's going on with Louise. She thinks Phil is looking after her, and if things were going terribly wrong she'd know about it. Hence the minute things have gone terribly wrong, Lisa was informed.

"They think Lisa should have been around, but for her own personal reasons, and the way it was left was Louise, Lisa thinks it's in Louise's best interest to have stayed away. But I don't think Sharon will be particularly keen to see her for her own reasons.

"You've got Phil's side of the family who want her to stay away, as does Phil. In Phil's eyes, he's got his daughter back and Lisa staying away is the best thing. So no-one is going to be that pleased to see her."

Are there going to be fireworks between Lisa and Sharon?

"There was history with Lisa and Sharon. There's always been fireworks there. I think Lisa realises Sharon is the woman in Phil's life and is the right woman for Phil. Sharon is such a lovely human being and such a great character. Lisa will realise she needs to get in with Sharon as an ally. That will probably help her get in with Louise.

"Of course Sharon's no fool and will stand her ground and will tell Lisa in no uncertain terms what she thinks of her. But Sharon is able to move on from that a lot easier than Phil. She can have her say and have her piece and let people know how she feels. She's a grown-up though – she's lived. She's made her own mistakes and is happy to move forward."

How is Louise going to react to seeing her mum?

"Lisa feels very guilty about having left Louise and not being involved in her life. Fundamentally Lisa's driving force is her unconditional love for her child. She knows she's got some hard times ahead with Louise, explaining why she hasn't been there. I think she just hopes her daughter will need her and see she's better off having her mum in her life."

EastEnders continues tonight (July 24) at 8pm on BBC One.


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Digital Spy Soap Scoop video – hit play below for all the latest EastEnders gossip, with the aftermath of the school prom and Steven's latest scheming.

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