By Greg Evans
EastEnders star Heather Peace has revealed that she and her wife, Ellie Dickinson, have both been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Earlier this year, Peace, who is best known for playing Eve Unwin on the long-running BBC soap, shared that she has been privately living with breast cancer, telling fans that she feels 鈥渧ery lucky鈥 after completing months of chemotherapy.
Now, as she鈥檚 due to begin radiotherapy, the actor said that Dickinson, her wife of 11 years, also received a similar diagnosis last year.
Speaking to The Mirror, Peace said that Dickinson鈥檚 鈥渂reast cancer was a smaller, aggressive lump, so she had a lumpectomy and then radiotherapy鈥.
The 50-year-old actor added: 鈥淥f course, then I come along with my 12cm lump, absolutely ginormous, and mastectomy, chemotherapy… just about to go into radiotherapy. She鈥檚 like, 鈥楨ven that you have to do bigger.鈥 It鈥檚 like 鈥楬old my beer.鈥欌
Peace admitted that she was initially reluctant to get her breast checked out after noticing a change in one of her nipples. The actor said she tried to put off a visit to the doctor for as long as possible due to her busy EastEnders filming schedule.
It was Dickinson who eventually managed to convince her to see a doctor quickly. Within three hours of the appointment, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
鈥淚 swear everybody looked at me, it might be my imagination, but I felt like a dead woman walking,鈥 said Peace. 鈥淚 honestly did because it was so big, and so quick that they told us and the seriousness and gravity with which I was told.鈥
Peace, who continued working on EastEnders throughout her treatment, had a left breast mastectomy in November 2024 and immediate reconstruction surgery. Although she initially had doubts about getting implants, the actor has since called her surgeon an 鈥渁rtist鈥 over the level of care shown in the procedure.
鈥淚t was Ellie who said, 鈥業 know that you wouldn鈥檛 cope without a breast as such,鈥欌 Peace explained. 鈥淪o they said if you don鈥檛 get on with it, we can take it out but I have got on with it. The level of care in the aesthetic, knowing how that can affect a woman mentally. I didn鈥檛 realise how much that part of me meant.鈥
Paying tribute to her wife, with whom she has three daughters, Peace said: 鈥淭his journey with Ellie, I feel proud of myself, I feel proud of our marriage, it鈥檚 the strongest it鈥檚 ever been because we can actually do the for sickness and in health, for richer for poorer.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to show up for each other. That bond is so much deeper than the romance from 15 years ago. Marriage is great. You know when you hit another level, there鈥檚 something special in that.鈥
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK, with around one in eight women being diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime. While it is often detected after the emergence of a noticeable lump, breast cancer can manifest in several different symptoms.
The NHS suggests seeing your GP if you notice any of the following changes