EastEnders stars reveal heart-breaking real life inspiration behind Whitney and Zack’s baby storyline

WHITNEY Dean and Zack Hudson tragically lost their baby in recent scenes aired on BBC One.

EastEnders' Shona McGarty and James Farrar explained one of the soap's directors has a real-life connection to the storyline.

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Both actors have been involved in the gut-wrenching storyline and have yesterday to thank viewers for their support.

Last week, the beloved market trader made the heart-breaking decision to terminate her pregnancy after finding out her unborn daughter, Peach, was suffering from a genetic condition called Edwards' syndrome.

The scenes triggered many reactions online as fans couldn't hold back their tears and multiple viewers reached out to both Shona and James through heartfelt messages.

But just as they were expressing their thoughts on their shared plot through a video posted on Shona's feed, the pair of stars revealed the storyline was inspired by EastEnders director Cóilín Ó Scolaí own real-life ordeal.

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"Cóilín Ó Scolaí, he won't mind me telling you that he wanted to direct this because he unfortunately lost his baby girl Laoise eight years ago", Shona explained.

"And so he found it very important to do this story, and it must have been incredibly difficult."

James Farrar added: "The courage for him to do that, maybe some solace within it, I don't know."

"But thank you Cóilín, thank you Jane Ashmore for creating such a safe space. There were tears during line runs, camera setups — not just from the cast but everyone around us, which shows such respect for the subject."

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"This subject's close to a lot of people's hearts, so we really hope we did it justice."

While James and Shona spoke out on Instagram, Cóilín Ó Scolaí himself took to Twitter to share his own thoughts and give thanks.

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"The response to last night's episode has been overwhelming", the soap director penned, praising the "pitch perfect" performances of both Shona and James and everyone involved in the storyline.

He went on: "Thank you Chris Clenshaw and Sharon Batten for the opportunity to tell this story."

Following the termination of her pregnancy, another painful bombshell was dropped on Whitney as she was told her baby wasn't even legally recognised.

Spoilers have confirmed that her grief will be taking over as she's due to lash out against her nearest and dearest upon her return to work - which include her pregnant twelve-year-old niece Lily Slater.

EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday on BBC One.

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