EastEnders' Ann Mitchell reveals to Soaplife that Cora's Christmas is going to be very lively - and not in a festive way! For 48 years Cora has hidden the secret that the daughter she had when she was 18 wasn’t stillborn, but was put up for adoption. But when Tanya tracks her sister, Ava, down it can only be a matter of time before Cora comes face to face with her too. "She'd feel utter shock," says Ann. Just the first shock of many... Why did Cora give up her baby daughter Ava? "The baby's father was black and he left her before he knew she was pregnant. She was 18 and unmarried and in those days having a baby in her situation was a social stigma. She was made to feel enormous shame by her parents, who forced her to give the baby up for adoption." That's so sad. Has Cora thought about Ava a lot? "On her birthday, at Christmas and anniversaries. Cora's fantasised about finding Ava, but it was never a reality for her. It would have been too upsetting for her husband and the rest of the family to introduce another child into the mix." What makes her confide in Patrick about Ava? "She and Patrick have a very strong bond. It comes out when he finds her baking a cake for Ava's 48th birthday. It takes a huge amount of trust for her to tell him the truth about the baby - then he betrays her by telling Tanya!" Does Tanya tell Cora she knows? "No. Instead Tanya gets on the internet and tracks Ava down to the school where she works - and goes to see her." Tanya doesn't tell Ava who she is, but she accidentally leaves her purse behind... What would Cora feel if Ava turned up? "Utter shock. She'd be traumatised by seeing her daughter and also by Patrick and Tanya's betrayal." Is this leading up to big things at Christmas? "Yes, it's going to be mayhem. The implications will be huge. The family will want answers and I'm sure we won't be seeing the back of Ava!"
