EastEnders fans ‘heartbroken’ as Jean Slater shaves her head in cancer storyline

EastEnders fans have spoken out about emotional scenes as Jean Slater shaves her head after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

The latest episode of the long-running soap saw Jean (Gillian Wright) and son Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky) take a trip away from Walford to the countryside.

Jean asks long-lost son Sean to help shave her head after noticing clumps of hair were falling out as she undergoes chemotherapy.

Defiant Jean reassures herself saying her hair will grow back, adding: “We’ve got to seize the moment Sean, before I change my mind.”

After he shaves her head, the pair are seeing laughing when he tells his mum: “Your ears are massive.”

Viewers applauded Wright and Kazinsky – who returned to Albert Square following a decade away – for the scenes on Thursday night’s episode.

One Twitter user wrote: “Jean getting her hair shaved is an incredibly brave thing to do.”

The soap said it has worked closely with Macmillan Cancer Support for the storyline, which began earlier this year.

Another wrote: “That scene where Sean shaved Jean’s head was quite poignant and emotional.

“I remember shaving my Mum’s head when she had treatment and I cracked a joke to lighten the mood just as he did. They handled that scene well.”

Another added: “Sean & Jean have me in tears. Such amazing actors.”

The end of the episode sees Jean badly slashing her leg on a fence, with the character brushing off the injury before losing strength and appearing to collapse.

As she loses consciousness, Sean makes a shocking confession as he fears his mum will die.

EastEnders continues on BBC One on Friday at 8pm.