Lauren (played by Jacqueline Jossa) was planning on leaving Walford with her son Louie and heading to New Zealand but she was stopped by her beau at the last minute.
When Steven (Aaron Sidwell) called out to her, she turned around and noticed that his head was bleeding.
Concerned for his welfare she rushed to his side and began to wipe away the blood as he whispered: “You do care about me?”
Realising that this was his opportunity to beg Lauren to stay, he told her: “I just had to get it out. I kept bashing my head against the wall to get it out. The brain tumour. I have cancer.”
Lauren was left stunned by the revelation as she realised she could not leave Albert Square with Steven so ill.
Unfortunately, viewers at home did not sympathise and slammed the twist in the storyline on social media.
One fan of the BBC soap fumed: “#EastEnders going a bit too close to the mark with the start of the cancer lie story, to be honest. It changes lives everyday, too!”
While another added: “They’re taking this story too far now, it’s absolutely sickening Stevens lying about having cancer. #Eastenders.”
“@bbceastenders seriously not a storyline to even joke about!!! One twisted lie with serious consequences … #eastenders,” a third wrote.
Someone else continued: “Steven you can’t make up lies just to keep Lauren. Saying you have cancer is just a horrible thing to lie about @bbceastenders #eastenders.”
As a fifth slammed: “Sorry but this storyline with Steven lie really is below the belt awful #EastEnders.”
However, there were some viewers who defended Steven and praised the soap for raising awareness regarding his mental health.
“Steven is breaking my heart. When is someone going to see that he’s not okay and he needs help. Amazing acting @aaronsidwell #eastenders,” one fan tweeted.
Another continued: “Everyone hating on Steven, he is actually mentally ill! He isn’t in control of his actions. #eastenders.”
While Lauren may have been convinced by Steven’s lie, her father Max (Jake Wood) certainly isn’t and next week viewers will see him confront his daughter’s boyfriend over his shock diagnosis.
EastEnders continues Monday on BBC One at 8pm.
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