Heather Peace, who joined EastEnders as ex-convict Eve Unwin in October 2021, has quickly become a favourite among fans. The first storyline revealed that Eve and Stacey Slater (portrayed by Lacey Turner) had a hasty wedding to secure their probation release while serving time in prison.
Since then, they’ve returned to Walford and maintained a close friendship, though drama is never far away. Eve’s romantic life has been complex, with her developing feelings for Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), despite Suki being married to the villainous Nish (Navin Chowdhry).
In a plot orchestrated by a jealous Nish, she was nearly killed but managed to escape. After overcoming numerous hurdles, she is now set to marry Suki. However, Heather’s real life is quite different from the drama-filled existence of her on-screen character.
Suki and Eve look stunning at the prepare to get married on New Year’s Eve
(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
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The 49-year-old Bradford native studied acting at Manchester Metropolitan University and made her television debut in 1997, appearing in an episode of The Bill as Josie Clarke and later in Emmerdale as Anne Cullen, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Her big break came in 1998 when she was cast as Sally Fields in the popular ITV drama London’s Burning, which follows the lives of firefighters from the fictional Blackwall fire station. Heather remained with the show until its final episode in August 2002, before going on to star in smaller roles on other TV shows like Casualty, Down to Earth and Where the Heart Is.
In 2005, Heather Peace starred alongside Ross Kemp in Ultimate Force and went on to become familiar for her roles as Sam Murray in Lip Service and Nikki Boston in Waterloo Road. Notably, she once portrayed a mountain rescuer in an episode of Coronation Street back in 2008.
Upon securing a role on EastEnders, Heather expressed her excitement: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the cast of EastEnders and I love my character Eve. She’s tough, but fair; super bright and cheeky. I’m loving working with such a brilliant cast, in particular Lacey Turner.”
Heather Peace was a star on London’s Burning before finding fame in EastEnders
(Image: LWT)
She continued to praise her co-star: “She’s tough, but fair; super bright and cheeky. I’m loving working with such a brilliant cast, in particular Lacey Turner. We immediately got on and sparked off each other which makes going to work easy and fun.”
Heather is not just an actor; her musical talents extend to playing the piano and guitar. During her time at acting school, she held a jazz residency.
She has a notable musical background, evidenced by the release of five albums and four singles following her on-screen performance of Bette Midlers The Rose in Londons Burning.
Her ‘This Love Tour’ saw her captivating audiences in cities such as London, Birmingham, Brighton, and Manchester. Her musical journey began in church where she sang as a cantor at St Joseph’s Catholic Church with her mother.
However, since coming out as a lesbian, both she and her mother have parted ways with the church.
EastEnders star Heather Peace is also a singer songwriter
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Speaking to The Daily Record, Heather expressed her views candidly: “The problem comes with the Catholic Church saying, ‘We’re going to be forced to marry gay people in our church. That’s embarrassing. I was brought up a Catholic, and in all honesty, on the happiest day of my life, if you really think I would set foot in any building that would rather I wasn’t there, then you’re having a laugh.”
“Why would I want to sit with a priest when I don’t even believe any of that? I hate the fact that it’s even referred to as ‘gay’ marriage. I don’t drive a ‘gay’ car or eat a ‘gay’ lunch. It’s just marriage. It’s all about achieving a sense of equality.”
Since tying the knot with Ellie Dickinson in 2013, Heather has been soaking up family bliss with their three kids Annie, Mary, and twins Jessie and Lola, sharing glimpses of their charming life to her 111k Instagram followers.
EastEnders airs Monday – Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer