Gay EastEnders character to fall victim to homophobic attack

Sep 02
Written by Alastair James

Jonno Highway is set to attach a gay character on EastEnders. (BBC)

EastEnders character Eve Unwin-Panesar will become a victim of a homophobic attack in a hard-hitting storyline on the BBC soap.

Eve, played by Heather Peace, is having a drink at The Prince Albert when she is verbally attacked by Jonno, the father of gay detective Callum Highway, who witnesses the attack.

The attack, set to air next week, comes out of nowhere but is not without precedent given Jonno’s history of homophobia.

Appearing in four episodes in 2019, the character, who abused Callum and his brother Stuart as children, used homophobic language against Ben Mitchell – now serving time in a US jail – on a number of occasions, including accusing him of making Callum “one of them” after the copper came out as gay.

Callum (C) witness his father’s attack on Eve. (BBC)

Following his latest his verbal outburst, Jonno is arrested, while Eve is helped by estranged wife Suki, portrayed by Balvinder Sopal, who is seen to be seen in Strictly Come Dancing. It could be a sign that their troubled relationship is getting back on track.

Suki and Eve kicked off 2025 by tying the knot in the show’s New Year’s Day episode. They became the first lesbian couple to marry on the long-running soap.

Eve (L) and Suki have been at loggerheads. (BBC)

Jonno’s return also paves the way for the next step in Johnny Carter’s affair with Callum, who is still married to Ben.

In May, Peace revealed her breast cancer diagnosis, saying she felt “very lucky” because she had finished her chemotherapy treatment. Two months later, she shared the news that her wife, Ellie Dickinson, had also been diagnosed with the illness.

Breast cancer is the most common form of the disease in the UK. According to Breast Cancer Now, on average, one woman is diagnosed every 10 minutes. For a full list of symptoms, visit the NHS website.