Danielle Harold

Last updated

Danielle Harold
Danielle Harold 2023.jpg
Harold in 2023
Born
Danielle Amy Harold

(1992-05-30) 30 May 1992 (age 32)
Lewisham, London, England
OccupationActress/Producer
Years active2010–present
Known for Lola Pearce in EastEnders
Television Jamie's Dream School
EastEnders

Danielle Amy Harold (born 30 May 1992) is an English actress and producer. [1] She rose to prominence playing Lola Pearce in the BBC soap opera EastEnders . Her portrayal of Lola's glioblastoma brain tumour storyline, that ultimately resulted in the character's death, earned her a win at the National Television Awards for Serial Drama Performance and three nominations at the British Soap Awards, of which she won Best Leading Performer, as well as a TRIC award for Soap Actor and the Inside Soap award for Best Actress. Following her exit from the soap, she became a contestant on the twenty-third series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! .

Contents

Early life

Danielle Amy Harold was born on 30 May 1992 in Lewisham, Greater London. [2] [3] Before Harold's acting career began, she was featured in the television series Jamie's Dream School . Harold got one GCSE as she had lost a year of school due to an illness and missed out on being able to study for exams. On Jamie's Dream School, she was seen as one of the brightest of the students, and was rewarded by Jane Poynter and Robert Winston with the chance to stay in the biosphere which Poynter had lived in for two years. She was also given a tour of Cambridge University by David Starkey as he found her to be very intelligent and thought that it might be a good choice of university. However, she decided to study acting and auditioned for several roles. [4]

Career

EastEnders

In June 2011, EastEnders producers announced that Harold had been cast as Lola Pearce, the granddaughter of established characters Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) and Julie Perkins (Cathy Murphy). [5] She made her first appearance in EastEnders on 12 July 2011. [6] [7] Harold's first major storyline involved her character's pregnancy at the age of 15. In July 2012, the character gave birth in a special live broadcast, coinciding with her on-screen grandfather carrying the Olympic Torch through Walford. Harold is the first EastEnders actress to portray giving birth live on air, and the second British soap actress, after Coronation Street actress Jennie McAlpine. [8] In June 2015, it was announced that Harold would be leaving EastEnders later that year. [9] In December 2018, it was announced that Harold would reprise her role of Lola Pearce. She returned to the series with her on-screen daughter, Lexi Pearce, in April 2019. [10] [11] Then in 2022, it was announced that Harold would be starring in a brain cancer storyline for Lola, which resulted in the character's death on 31 May 2023. After which, Harold continued to appear as Lola sporadically via the character's video diaries until 25 December 2023, and made further appearances via video footage on 20 June 2024 and 11 September 2024. [12]

Other ventures

In November 2023, Harold appeared in an EastEnders special of The Weakest Link alongside several of her co-stars. [13] The same month, she was announced as a contestant on the twenty-third series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! . She was the fifth celebrity to be eliminated, finishing in sixth place. [14] Harold is also set to participate in the sixth series of Celebrity Hunted in 2024, which she filmed in 2023 following her exit from EastEnders. [15]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRole
2017Fanged UpKatie Makepeace
2018PleasurelandDina
Two GravesLeanne
MonsterSarah
Dead RingerMelissa Prince
2019The TombsThe Presenter
2020Next DoorDani
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2011 Jamie's Dream School HerselfMain role
2011–2015, 2019–2024 EastEnders Lola Pearce Regular role
2012 Billy's Olympic Nightmare Television special
Pointless Celebrities Herself – ContestantChildren in Need Special
2013 Children in Need Street Dancer1 episode
2017 Casualty Georgie ManningEpisode: "Roadman"
2023 The Weakest Link Herself – ContestantEastEnders Special
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Series 23
2024 Celebrity Hunted Series 6 Stand up To Cancer
Celebrity Bridge of Lies Herself [16]
2024 Celebrity MasterChef Herself – Contestant [17] series 19

Awards and nominations

YearOrganisationAwardWorkResultRef.
2012 TVTimes AwardsBest NewcomerEastEndersWon [18]
2013 Inside Soap Awards Best ActressNominated [19]
2014 The British Soap Awards Sexiest FemaleNominated [20]
2022 Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap Actor (Female)Won [21]
2023 The British Soap Awards Best Leading Performer Won [22]
Best Dramatic Performance Shortlisted
Best On-Screen Partnership
(with Jamie Borthwick)
Shortlisted
TRIC Awards Soap ActorWon [23]
National Television Awards Serial Drama PerformanceWon [24]
Inside Soap Awards Best ActressWon [25]
TVTimes AwardsFavourite Soap ActorWon [26]
I Talk Telly AwardsBest Soap PerformanceWon [27]
Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap ActorWon [28]
Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap Couple (with Jamie Borthwick)EastendersSecond [29]
2024 TV Choice Awards Best Soap ActressEastendersShortlisted [30]

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References

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  11. Rodger, James (20 December 2018). "EastEnders' Lola set for explosive return – and she's not alone". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
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  13. "EastEnders special confirmed as The Weakest Link returns". Digital Spy . 13 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
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