EastEnders actress Heather Peace has revealed she’s been secretly fighting breast cancer since October last year. The 49-year-old, who plays Eve Panesar-Unwin on the BBC soap, announced on Instagram that she’s undergone both surgery and chemotherapy—and that her final chemo session just ended.
In a touching video, Heather is seen trying on a wig in the EastEnders dressing room, a moment she described as a “symbol of her journey.” She reflected on the moment chemotherapy ended, comparing it to the final stretch of the London Marathon—where she could finally see the finish line and feel the weight of everything she had endured.
“Today marked the end of a very long road,” she wrote. “I’ve just picked up my medal.”
She continued by saying that the diagnosis forced her to slow down and focus on what truly mattered: time with her wife Ellie and their daughters Annie, Jessie and Lola. “I’ve found joy in the simplest things. Life feels more honest and more real,” she shared.
Throughout her recovery, Heather said she received overwhelming support from the EastEnders team, especially the makeup department, who helped her through the wig fittings and emotional ups and downs. She also thanked the NHS for treating her with dignity, speed and kindness.
“Life is different now, but it’s beautiful,” she concluded. “I feel lucky, grateful and deeply changed.”
Co-stars flooded her comment section with love. Lacey Turner called her “my superhero,” while Diane Parish praised her strength as “tough and courageously vulnerable.” Kellie Bright declared Heather a “WARRIOR WOMAN,” and Emma Barton affectionately called her “frigging ace.”
