Patsy Kensit joins Eastenders

Patsy Kensit has joined the cast of ‘EastEnders.’

The 54-year-old star will appear in the BBC soap opera in scenes set to be aired around Christmastime and will play the part of Emma, who is the long-lost mother of established character Lola Pearce.

A BBC source told The Sun newspaper: “Bosses are thrilled they have managed to get Patsy for this role. She’s a great actress and is about to play a part in one of their biggest current storylines.”

In the show, Emma abandoned her daughter and husband when Lola was aged just three and had not been seen in Albert Square before.

Lola – who is played by actress Danielle Harold, 30, and first appeared on the soap in 2011 – is set to leave the show in 2023 when her character will ultimately succumb to a battle with brain cancer, with a separate telly source adding that there is a huge amount of buzz surrounding the “explosive storyline” on set.

The source said: “There is a lot of excitement and buzz on set surrounding what will be an explosive storyline”

Patsy previously starred in ITV rival soap ‘Emmerdale’ as well as BBC medical drama ‘Holby City’ but in 2019 explained that she would “love” to have a part in ‘EastEnders’ because the London-based soap reminds her of her upbringing.

She said: “I’d love to do EastEnders, my father was involved in organised crime in the East End, so I grew up around villains and that kind of backdrop. I can pull a pint and say, ‘You’re barred!’”