EastEnders actress Danielle Harold has her headaches checked by medics since portraying Lola Pearce’s battle with a brain tumour.
The actress said the storyline made her aware that headaches can sometimes be an indicator of cancer.
She said: “The show reminded me to get checked. It’s raising awareness.
“If you’ve got headaches or sharp pains, they’re the first signs of a brain tumour so go and get it checked.
“It’s worth it. It’s not worth ignoring. That’s a story I’ve heard a lot… the headaches keep coming and people don’t get checked until it was too late.
“I did go to get checked. I’ve always been very cautious.”
Lola’s death aired last month, and Danielle won Best Soap Actor at the Television and Radio Industry Club awards this week.
She said: “The response afterwards has just been amazing. I get a lot of messages – normally it’s lovely to get so many messages, but in this case it’s really not because it shows how many people are affected by cancer.
“They tell me their stories, really close personal stories. I read everything but I can’t reply to everything.
“You are that character, so you do take a lot on your shoulders, but you want to help everyone involved.
“On the street, people feel like it’s a comfortable place for them to share because I know so much about cancer now after all the research.”
Danielle, 31, says bosses have been on hand with support for her due to the difficult subject matter.
“There is so much help at work,” she said. “I’m so lucky that it’s not me. That gets me through.
“But the show has been an amazing support.”
Co-star Patsy Palmer’s character Bianca attended Lola’s funeral, and Danielle said: “Me and Patsy are going for dinner soon. I will keep in touch with all the cast.”
