IS OUR WEDDING DOOMED?

Danny-Boy Hatchard – Lee in EastEnders – on the secret that could scupper his and Whitney’s big day

Lee Carter hopes to make his bride Whitney Dean the happiest woman in Walford when she walks up the aisle this week – but her dream wedding could be about to turn into a nightmare. Behind Whitney’s back, Lee’s taken out a loan to pay for everything, and he may well end up regretting it.

As the big day approaches, viewers will be left wondering if Whitney’s going to find out, and whether she’ll blow her top and walk out on Lee. Danny-Boy Hatchard, who plays the groom, says, ‘Lee’s been saving up but he still doesn’t consider himself capable of supporting Whitney and paying for the wedding, and feels emasculated because of it. In a moment of madness he decides to take a risk now and worry about it later.

‘He’s scared and feeling the pressures of getting married, making massive decisions without really taking the consequences into consideration, and is kidding himself that he’ll be able to pay it off later. He’s also running the risk that if Whitney finds out about it she could decide to call off the wedding...’

What’s more, as well as putting his big day at risk, the pressure of repaying the money could have wor-

rying implications for Lee, who is battling depression, says DannyBoy. ‘ Being in debt is daunting. Lee’s keeping secrets from the people he loves and feeling the pressure. It’s not really helping him.’

Lee’s no stranger to stress – Whitney recently dumped him for cheating on her with Abi Branning, though later took him back. That was after she’d lost their baby. ‘It’s difficult for any woman to go through that,’ says Danny-Boy, ‘It’s heartbreaking stuff, and was so emotional to film, but Shona McGarty, who plays Whitney, did a fantastic job.’

Danny-Boy feels proud his recent storylines have highlighted important social issues and resonated with the public. ‘People have spoken very kindly about how I’ve portrayed Lee’s

depression and how Shona and I played Whitney’s miscarriage scenes,’ he says. ‘It’s really nice to think it’s affected people in a positive way.’

It was announced in August that Danny-Boy would be leaving the show soon, and the 25-year- old, who described joining EastEnders in 2014 as ‘better than winning the lottery’, says, ‘I’ve absolutely loved my time here, but with any job, and life in general, you have to make the most of it.’

Now he’s looking forward to new challenges. ‘ It’s been a massive learning process being in this show,’ he says. ‘I feel like I’ve gone back into drama school for three years, and am soon to be leaving. I’m excited about what’s to come.’