EastEnders fans fear for Lauren after explosive showdown with Abi

EastEnders fans were horrified as Lauren Branning hit the bottle to help her cope after fiance Steven Beale’s death.

Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) battled alcohol problems in the past but had cleaned up her act.

Struggling with her grief after Steven died in the fire, a row with her sister Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) tipped Lauren over the edge during Monday night’s episode of the BBC soap and she turned to booze.

Viewers were begging Lauren to resist.

“Oh no Lauren. I actually wished I could step in when she did that. Hug her and talk her out of it,” one fan posted on Twitter.

“Nooooo, Lauren dont drink Steven wasn’t worth it,” urged another.

One viewer wondered: “How could they let lauren hit the bottle again.”

Read more: EastEnders confirms exit of Lauren and Abi Branning

There was also plenty of anger for Abi, who told Steven she was pregnant with his baby seconds before he died.

She turned on Lauren in the latest instalment, accusing her of only being upset for herself, rather than Steven, and saying she had not loved him anyway.

As Lauren sobbed over her wedding rings, Abi told her they were now useless.

“Abi needs professional help. She’s a total psychopath,” said one person on Twitter while another said they “hate Abi with a passion”.

“I’m pretty sure the whole nation wanted to slap Abi when she responded with ‘well there’s no use for the rings now’ to Lauren,” said another.

Read more: EastEnders fans in backlash over character exits

Over the weekend it was confirmed that both Lauren and Abi will be leaving the soap at Christmas. A spokesperson for the show told The Sun:

“We can confirm Jacqueline and Lorna will be leaving.

“They have been wonderful to work with and we wish them all the best for the future.”