EastEnders star Heather Peace has revealed that she and her wife, Ellie Dickinson, have both recently battled 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 “very lucky” after completing months of chemotherapy.
Now, as she’s 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’s “breast cancer was a smaller, aggressive lump, so she had a lumpectomy and then radiotherapy”.
The 50-year-old actor added: “Of course, then I come along with my 12cm lump, absolutely ginormous, and mastectomy, chemotherapy... just about to go into radiotherapy. She’s like, ‘Even that you have to do bigger.’ It’s like ‘Hold my beer.’”
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.
“I swear everybody looked at me, it might be my imagination, but I felt like a dead woman walking,” said Peace. “I honestly did because it was so big, and so quick that they told us and the seriousness and gravity with which I was told.”
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 “artist” over the level of care shown in the procedure.
“It was Ellie who said, ‘I know that you wouldn’t cope without a breast as such,’” Peace explained. “So they said if you don’t 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’t realise how much that part of me meant.”
Paying tribute to her wife, with whom she has three daughters, Peace said: “This journey with Ellie, I feel proud of myself, I feel proud of our marriage, it’s the strongest it’s ever been because we can actually do the for sickness and in health, for richer for poorer.
“We’ve 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’s something special in that.”
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:
- A change in the size, outline or shape of your breast
- A change in the look or feel of your skin, such as puckering or dimpling
- A new lump, thickening or bumpy area in one breast or armpit that is different from the same area on the other side
- Nipple discharge that's not milky
- Bleeding from your nipple
- A moist, red area on your nipple that doesn't heal easily
- Any change in nipple position, such as your nipple being pulled in or pointing differently
- A rash on or around your nipple
- Any discomfort or pain in one breast, particularly if it's a new pain and doesn't go away (although pain is only a symptom of Breast Cancer in rare cases)
Ali Bastian reveals ‘emotional’ conversation she had with herself before mastectomy
Jessie J says ‘cancer has all gone’ after mastectomy
The best trending sandals that don’t wreck your feet
9 shelving ideas to flaunt favourite finds
Air pollution and herbal medicines tied to lung cancer in non-smokers, scientists say
How to decorate with natural light, depending on your aspect
