Heather Peace thanks the NHS and EastEnders for their support after being diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2024

Brighton-based actress Heather Peace has thanked the NHS and the EastEnders team for their support after being diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2024.

The actress, who plays lesbian character Eve Unwin in the soap, said her “chemotherapy journey” has now ended in an Instagram post glowing with positivity, adding: “I woke up this morning and it was like the end of the London Marathon; I’d turned onto The Mall and could see the giant clock and the finish line. To conclude – I’ve just picked up my medal.”

Heather said: “I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of October. Since then I’ve undergone surgery and recovery over the Christmas period and today my chemotherapy journey ended.

“Thank you to the whole EE team for going above and beyond…

“Thank you to all of the friends in my local community who’ve been there for me and my family at the drop of a hat (you know who you are).

“Thank you to the NHS. You are wonderful, skilled people. You treated me efficiently. You gave me dignity and showed me kindness. It’s so appreciated.

“Life feels very different now and it’s wonderful. I will continue to cherish and be grateful for all I am blessed with.”

Heather is a long-time resident of Brighton and a prominent LGBTQ+ advocate. She has been involved in Brighton & Hove Pride, including performing at the festival and supporting its various initiatives. She is also known for publicly sharing her experiences and views on LGBTQ+ issues, including her own coming out story and family life.

Last year, Heather spoke about her experience of being threatened with being outed by a tabloid newspaper when she was in TV show London’s Burning.

Speaking on BBC Radio Sussex‘s Out with Kathy Caton, Heather said: “People were being outed in newspapers for no reason,” she recalled, “and there were a couple of very close calls where they were just going to splash it all over the papers, and for some reason they didn’t.”

Heather won a lifetime award from Diva in April 2024 for her work raising the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.

In a 30-year career she has starred in programmes such as Emmerdale and Waterloo Road, but only came out at the age of 34, saying “she could have done it sooner”.

She came out when she was cast as a lesbian character in the BBC series Lip Service.

“I was ready, I didn’t really care any more what people thought of me. That’s a good feeling.”