EastEnders star Gillian Wright has explained why her character Jean Slater will decide to climb The O2.
Viewers have recently seen Jean diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and she'll prepare to undergo her first session of chemotherapy next week.
As Jean prepares to start her treatment, she eventually confides in her friend Shirley Carter and admits just how frightened she is about it all.
With both Shirley and Linda determined to support Jean, talk soon turns to one of Shirley's biggest fears – heights.
Before long, the two women are preparing to face their fears by climbing The O2 together, but Gillian has explained that Jean is merely using it as a distraction from what's about to happen.
"I think it’s a deflection," Gillian says. "I don't think Jean knows that at the time because that's not how it works. I think we all do it in some shape or form.
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"It's the day before her chemotherapy starts and she decides to book something really scary for her and Shirley to do.
"I think it's a really massive achievement and she feels like she can do anything then. But actually, she's the first to admit it was just a distraction – she still has the chemotherapy the next day and she still has cancer."
Speaking about how she felt filming the scenes, Gillian said: "I was [nervous]! I'm not actually very good with heights, but it wasn't that bad at all.
"The skyscrapers dwarf it so once you've struggled to get up there, you go, 'Oh there's taller buildings'. And because there's no steep drop, you don't get that really high-up feeling.
"But actually, climbing it is harder than you think. It's a bouncy, stretchy surface and you're hooked on to a cable that you have to hang on to so it's hard work."
Discussing the research she's done for Jean's cancer story, Gillian added: "I've done a lot. When I first started in the show and was told my character was diagnosed with bipolar, I did an enormous amount of research.
"The team at EastEnders put me in touch with someone who I could phone when I needed advice. That's what I have with the bipolar storyline. I have somebody I can phone up and ask questions.
"I don't think I could possibly do this storyline without doing as much homework as possible.
"You can do a certain amount on the internet but after a while you realise working out what's fact and fiction can be difficult. And then you start to get frustrated because you're not getting the information you need."
EastEnders airs Jean's big climb on Thursday, April 4 at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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