EastEnders star Heather Peace has explained why her character Eve Panesar-Unwin considers adopting a child in upcoming scenes. Eve shares the idea with her wife Suki next week, as the popular couple take steps towards rebuilding their rocky relationship.

Viewers recently saw Eve decide to distance herself from Suki, devastated by the manipulative way she’d handled Avani Nandra-Hart’s secret pregnancy.

Next week, though, Suki and Eve finally meet up and start to sort through their issues. Before long, it’s Eve who suggests an exciting new chapter by revealing that she wants them to adopt a baby together.

Speaking exclusively to us at the Inside Soap Awards 2025, Heather hinted that there’ll always be a happy ending for Suki and Eve.

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“The thing is, with Suki and Eve, we’ve painted a soulmate love story. The last thing I’d ever want is an affair or something really silly to split them up,” Heather explained.

“[Avani’s pregnancy] was a very, very big situation and Suki fell a little bit into her old manipulative ways. Eve’s weakness is Suki, so I think Eve just had to take that step back and take some proper time away.

“But ultimately they will always find their way back to each other. I think they just can’t not. I’d like to see a lot more in-depth conversations – maybe even a little bit of counselling for the two of them!”

Heather noted that Eve had agreed to raise Avani’s baby with Suki, before the teenager decided to terminate her pregnancy.

Related: 10 huge EastEnders spoilers for next week (6 to 9 October)

“It’s like a can of worms. I think Eve’s got a lot more depth than perhaps people would perceive,” Heather explained. “So because she went there, because she committed to the Avani baby situation, I think she meant that.

“And so now that can of worms has been opened and she’s considered the idea of being a mum, she can’t really put a lid back on that. That’s where the conversations start.”

Heather spoke to us after the incredible news that she’d won the Soap Superstar of the Year prize at the Inside Soap Awards. The annual trophy is given to someone who’s gone above and beyond with their work in the previous 12 months.

Inside Soap readers hailed Heather’s “courageous and inspiring” portrayal of Eve, calling her “a Northern powerhouse” and “an icon who has always fought for others”.

Earlier this year, Heather spoke movingly about how she continued to film for EastEnders – including Suki and Eve’s wedding episodes – after being diagnosed with breast cancer last October.

Heather underwent surgery and recovery over the Christmas period, before completing her chemotherapy treatment in May this year.

Speaking to us about the Inside Soap Award recognition, a visibly-moved Heather said: “It’s amazing, because the fans have done this. I didn’t expect it. I’ve not actually been in the show that much this year.

“I feel like the producers have kept me quieter – even though I wanted to power through, obviously, because that’s what I always do. But I think they knew me more than I know myself. They kept me a little quieter.

“The diagnosis came just before the wedding episodes started filming and it’s just been a whirlwind.”

More Inside Soap Awards 2025 coverage:

EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.