'Lucy refuses point blank to have an abortion'
EastEnders' Melissa Suffield explains the moment when Ian realises Lucy isn’t his little girl any more… How does Lucy feel about being pregnant? "She’s scared. She thinks she’s being realistic about the situation, but she’s not." Is she having second thoughts about giving the baby to Jane then? "It isn’t that. Jane didn’t offer, it’s something Lucy proposed. She has her mind set that Ian and Jane adopting her baby is really a fabulous idea. She feels guilty that Jane can’t have babies because it was caused by a chain of events she started with her half-brother Steven." How does Ian react when told the news? "It shocks him and he tells Lucy she has to have an abortion. But she stands up for herself and refuses point blank. She tells him it’s her decision and her baby." Does she manage to convince Ian she’s doing the right thing? "She surprises him by discussing the idea like an adult. She’s 16 and wants her dad to realise she’s not a little girl any more." He shows her a birthing film to make her change her mind. Does it work? "It works in reverse. Lucy agrees it would be a good thing for her to watch the birth and watching the DVD together actually bonds them all as a family. Ian realises it’s his grandchild’s life in the balance and tells Jane and Lucy he’s fully on board with their plan." We all know Leon is the father. Why doesn’t she want him to know? "Because it’s been decided the baby isn’t really going to be part of her life, so it’s not necessary for him to know." How does she feel about Leon? "She likes him and she’s annoyed he chose Zsa Zsa over her. But she’s not ready for love and hasn’t had enough fun yet." Do you think she can give up her wild child ways for nine months? "No way. She probably won’t be drinking, but if her friends invite her out she’ll go." Is she really going to be able to hand the baby over to Jane? "I think so…" Get EastEnders storylines first! Sign up to receive our EastEnders Extra newsletter Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk’s weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.