EastEnders fans left in floods of tears after spotting fox after Lola dies in 'saddest episode ever'

EastEnders viewers are not OK after Wednesday night's absolutely devastating episode, as fan-favourite character Lola Pearce passed away.

And as if the whole ordeal wasn't upsetting enough, anyone tuned in was reduced to a blubbering mess when the episode's final shot included a poignant tribute to Lola.

Lola, played by Danielle Harold, had been suffering from a brain tumour since late last year.

BBC

In recent episodes, EastEnders fans watched on in fear as Lola's health started to deteriorate, until finally, the inevitable happened.

Viewers were already sobbing after watching Lola's husband Jay Brown wake up to find that the sun had come out for her, only to find that she had died in bed during the night.

Then, when little Lexi woke up to discover the tragic news, she reassured Jay that Lola had 'done it on purpose for them', suggesting that her mum had waited until they were out of the room to pass away.

The pair laid in bed together, embracing Lola as the morning broke.

Viewers took to Twitter to unpack the traumatic episode, still shattered from what they had just seen.

"Probably the most I’ve cried at a TV show ever this scene absolutely destroyed me," tweeted one fan.

BBC

"I've never cried this hard over a soap ever," admitted a second.

"That was the saddest episode of anything I’ve ever watched. I have no f***ing words," claimed a third.

But the real heartbreak came in the episode's final shot, just before the credits rolled.

You see, earlier Jay and Lola had spoken about what animal they would like to come back as if they were reincarnated.

Jay had joked that he would probably come back as a rat, but said his wife would come back as a fox.

So when the final shot saw a fox walk across the Square as the sun rose, it sent shivers down viewers' spines.

BBC

"This shot was such a beautiful way to end the episode; Jay talking about Lola coming back as a fox and a fox comes out at sunrise," commented one touched fan.

"I was doing so well especially after sobbing yesterday and they showed the damn fox," complained a second.

And a third insisted: "If the fox at the end doesn't get you then you don't have a heart."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.