BBC EastEnders Eve Unwin star’s life off-screen from wife and children to secret talent

EastEnders’ Heather Peace has rapidly won over viewers since her debut in October 2021, playing the role of former inmate Eve Unwin.

The storyline unveiled that Eve and Stacey Slater (portrayed by Lacey Turner) had a hasty prison wedding to secure their probation release while both were behind bars. Since then, they’ve resettled in Walford and maintained a tight-knit friendship, although drama is never far off.

Eve’s romantic entanglements have been anything but straightforward, as she’s developed feelings for Suki Panesar ( Balvinder Sopal ), despite Suki being wedded to the nefarious Nish (Navin Chowdhry). A murder plot hatched by a jealous Nish almost claimed Eve’s life, but she managed to evade this fate.

After overcoming numerous hurdles, she’s now on track to tie the knot with Suki.

However, when the cameras stop rolling, Heather’s real life is a world away from the tumultuous existence of her on-screen persona, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Bradford-born Heather, 49, honed her acting skills at Manchester Metropolitan University. She made her television debut in 1997, featuring in an episode of The Bill as Josie Clarke and later gracing Emmerdale as Anne Cullen.

Her big break arrived in 1998 when she landed the role of Sally Fields in the hit ITV drama London’s Burning, which delves into the lives of firefighters from the fictional Blackwall fire station.

Heather remained on the show until its final episode in August 2002, before moving on to take up smaller roles in other TV series such as Casualty, Down to Earth and Where the Heart Is.

Back in 2005, Heather graced the screen in Ultimate Force alongside Ross Kemp. She’s also made waves with her portrayals of Sam Murray in Lip Service and Nikki Boston in Waterloo Road, not to mention a stint as a mountain rescuer on Coronation Street in 2008.

When she landed her role in 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.

“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.”

But acting isn’t the only string to Heather’s bow she’s a dab hand at the piano and guitar, having even snagged a jazz residency during her drama school days. Following a memorable performance of Bette Midler’s The Rose in London’s Burning, she’s churned out five albums and four singles.

Her This Love Tour saw her belting out tunes in major cities like London, Birmingham, Brighton, and Manchester. Heather’s musical journey began in the choir at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, where she sang with her mother.

However, they’ve since parted ways with the church due to Heather being openly lesbian.