Yahoo News Exclusive: EastEnders star reveals Dinah death aftermath
Note: The following article contains discussion of themes including suicide that some readers may find upsetting.
EastEnders star Lorraine Stanley has revealed that Karen Taylor will fear being sent to prison in the aftermath of Dinah Wilson's tragic death.
The actress has spoken to Digital Spy about the aftermath of this week's devastating storyline, which saw Dinah take her own life.
Friday night's episode (May 17) ended with scenes of high emotion, as Karen told Mitch Baker that Dinah had previously confided in her about her suicidal thoughts. Mitch reacted angrily to the revelation, telling Karen that she was dead to him.
As the fallout continues next week, Karen can't help fearing for her own future – wondering whether she'll be implicated in the case, even though she didn't help Dinah.
Speaking to Digital Spy, Lorraine explained: "Karen is trying to sort out the funeral arrangements. Alongside that, there's got to be a coroner's report.
"Karen is absolutely scared and frightened that she might be arrested for it. I know she didn't help Dinah, but she knew about it.
"So Karen just fears that she's going to go to prison and lose her kids. Her kids are her everything. So I think she has this panicked moment of: 'What's going to happen to me?'"
She continued: "Karen is also left feeling so guilty that she couldn't stop Dinah. She thought that Dinah was on the up. When Karen went and took Bailey to the park, Dinah was being positive.
"Mitch is distraught too. I think he's channelling his anger towards Karen, naturally, because he has found out that she knew the whole time. So there's going to be a lot of animosity between them both.
"There have been some really positive things said about the storyline this week. It's a really tough one, but it's what people go through, especially with the young carer aspect. It's so sad that children go through this, but EastEnders is a big platform and it needs to be shown.
"We've got the lovely Kara-Leah Fernandes playing Bailey, which makes it even sadder, because she's so gorgeous and she's just so brilliant."
Following another eventful 12 months for the Taylor family, Lorraine has been shortlisted for Best Actress at this year's British Soap Awards for her portrayal of Karen.
There's a strong showing for the extended Taylor family in general this year, with Zack Morris (Keegan), Kara-Leah Fernandes (Bailey) and Roger Griffiths (Mitch) up for prizes too.
Lorraine told us: "It feels brilliant to be up for Best Actress. It's just an honour and I'm properly chuffed to bits. It's a viewers' vote, so it means that the viewers are liking what they see, so that makes me happy.
"I'm so proud of the whole family. We've only been here for two years and it's just a really good feeling for the Taylors in general. We all work so hard together."
Digital Spy recently published a feature on the Taylor family's growing popularity with EastEnders fans after a divisive debut, so we also couldn't resist asking Lorraine for her thoughts on their turnaround.
She said: "The Taylors are so strong, so when they landed in the Square and came out of the van, they were explosive and they were loud. So I think people were like: 'Whoa, whoa, whoa…!'
"Now the response has been amazing. Everyone gives me a cuddle in the street. They're like: 'Oh, we love you. We love the Taylors'. There are some really, really nice words from the general public, which are really appreciated.
"It's really nice, actually. I don't get any negative responses at all, really. People just want to hug me, and I'm a huggy person. So I'm fine with that!"
EastEnders continues on Monday (May 20) at 8pm on BBC One. Votes for the British Soap Awards can be cast on the ceremony's official website.
We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), and Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
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