EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders boss Kate Oates has spoken out about why Chantelle's (Jessica Plummer) tragic death storyline had to happen.
Sadly, it's been revealed that Chantelle will have her exit scenes in today's (September 18) episode as her abusive marriage ends in murder when her husband Gray (Toby-Alexander Smith) kills her.
Kate Oates, the head of continuing drama at the BBC, noted a story from Woman's Hour as an influence for Chantelle's story, as well as an "alarming" statistic of how many women have been killed by a partner or ex-partner.
Related: 12 huge EastEnders spoilers for next week
"I was thinking about what long-running stories we might tell that could have a significant impact," she told Jenni Murray on Women's Hour today (September 18).
What to Read Next
"And I thought 'I know how high that number is' but it still really shocked me.
"I'd never seen that played out on a serial drama or a soap opera even though I'd seen an awful lot of stories about domestic violence. So I thought if that's the truth of this story, then we should tell it."
The EastEnders team worked closely with Women's Aid to make sure that all areas of the story reflected what this experience is like for victims.
Related: EastEnders star explains why Chantelle's death spoiler was revealed
Kate also discussed wanting to portray how Chantelle's pressure to show she's living a "perfect life" would feed into the deterioration of the situation and her abusive relationship when she decides to keep quiet.
"She feels a pressure to support that myth, and she's doing that massively at her own cost," she said.
"Because if she'd talked to someone about what was really going on her home life, people would've had the opportunity to help her and to take that power away... But instead she decides to keep quiet and keep that no-filter-needed appearance that she has.
"You don't know what goes on behind closed doors, and the truth of their picture perfect relationship is not so perfect."
EastEnders airs Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays on BBC One.
We would encourage any readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story to contact Refuge (www.refuge.org.uk) or Women's Aid (www.womensaid.org.uk). The 24-hour, freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247. The US National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or text text LOVEIS to 22522.
Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
One of Them: From Albert Square to Parliament Square by Michael Cashman
Want up-to-the-minute soaps news, spoilers and gossip on your social feeds? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Soaps Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @soapscoop Twitter account.
