Outraged EastEnders fans have hit out at Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) after her unforgivable actions in last night’s episode.
The newbie was preparing for the relaunch of Peggy’s bar – now renamed Harry’s Barn after her sons Harry (Elijah Holloway) and Barney (Lewis Bridgeman) – when she made a very poor decision.
As Nicola walked up the staircase, she lifted the infamous canvas of Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) off the wall and began to carry it outside.
There, she placed the picture amongst a number of items she was throwing out.
Peggy’s son Phil (Steve McFadden), the previous owner of the bar, strolled past and questioned why she hadn’t kept the name. Glancing down at his mum’s image, he walked off shocked.
Nicola clearly had a guilty conscious, and carried the portrait back inside the venue, whilst she debated what to do with it.
Peggy was one of the BBC soap’s most iconic characters, played regularly by Carry On actress Barbara for sixteen years between 1994 and 2010. She then continued to make guest appearances until 2016.
Involved in a number of high profile storylines across that time, Peggy was all about her faaaamily, making her personality not too dissimilar to Nicola’s.
It’s safe to say that the character’s actions infuriated viewers.
‘Nicola’s changed Peggy’s name to Harry’s barn and taken Peggy’s photo down. Phil don’t look happy’ wrote one.
Another added: ‘Throwing away Peggy’s portrait is blasphemy!’
‘Oh Nicola you ousted the Dutchess… Peggy deserved better!’ penned one.
Whilst one described it as ‘sacrilege’, another said: ‘I was shocked that Nicola removed Peggy’s portrait and changed the name of the club.’
Surprisingly, some watchers didn’t seem too fazed by the changes.
‘I’ve never been that attached to Peggy Mitchell so Nicola being presented as her successor of sorts is more than okay with me’ said one fan.
‘Obsessed with Peggy Mitchell popart being thrown out onto the streets of Walford before being waltzed around the square’ laughed another.
Luckily, Nicola slightly redeemed herself at the end of the episode when she returned the picture to Phil. Carrying it round to his house, she charged into the kitchen and was taken aback by what she saw.
The entire room was covered in takeaway cartons and dirty dishes – Phil was living in absolute squalor.
We know that this is the start of a heartbreaking story for Phil, that will the Walford hard man suffer suicidal thoughts amid his loneliness.
