EastEnders Elaine star Harriet Thorpe on 'massive problem' with Linda's future amid Christmas death

EastEnders prima Harriet Thorpe opens up astir Elaine Peacock and George Knight's upcoming soap wedding - and however Elaine's girl Linda has a 'massive problem' ahead

Wedding bells are acceptable to ringing connected EastEnders arsenic Elaine Peacock and George Knight hole to necktie the knot – but with George’s ex-wife Cindy up to nary bully yet again, there’s nary warrant they’ll marque it down the aisle. Following a tumultuous year, The Queen Vic’s landlord and woman are yet acceptable to wed – and prima Harriet Thorpe couldn’t hold to play a bride. “I usually play psychotic women, truthful the bride isn’t my archetypal go-to. I’ve ne'er been an ingenue,” she says. “I’ve ever been a quality actor, truthful being a bride – and Elaine, with her controlling everything – has been specified a joy.”

Elaine can’t hold to go Mrs Knight, but she inactive won’t fto herself afloat spot George (Colin Salmon) aft helium kissed Cindy portion grieving his mother’s decease successful April. “Elaine is thrilled because, with George and Elaine successful their sixties, they some cognize what they privation successful life, and for them to get to this constituent is simply a culmination of specified a roller-coaster ride,” she says. “But there’s thing lurking successful the background, which is revealed aboriginal connected – a crushed wherefore there’s ever uncertainty. And the information that George has already kissed Cindy is simply a taper that’s been lit, and it’s precise hard not to burn.”

Elaine’s mistrust of George isn’t her lone occupation – she besides has her girl Linda’s (Kellie Bright) sobriety to interest about, with Bernie Taylor backmost successful municipality and hellbent connected revenge for Keanu’s murder. “I deliberation Linda’s alcoholism is simply a monolithic problem. Now Elaine is alert of the extraordinary, horrific world of what her girl is besides suffering with the Keanu revelation – but yet you support loving your kid and that tears you apart,” she says. “You privation to enactment them but erstwhile you’re plate-spinning these hard household situations, there’s a limit.” As for immoderate EastEnders deaths planned for this Christmas, is The Queen Vic successful harmless hands with Elaine staying successful Walford this time? “Let’s anticipation so,” she laughs. “You’ll person to ticker connected Christmas Day, darling.”

The time earlier her nuptials, Elaine goes to Cindy with a bold and risky plan. She wants Cindy to acceptable up a honeytrap for George to spot whether helium inactive has feelings for her. “It’s a large bargaining instrumentality and it gives her power for the archetypal time, to find retired whether this matters oregon not,” Harriet says. “They are enemies, obviously, and I’m ne'er definite erstwhile Cindy says yes to thing that it’s from the heart. But arsenic women, sometimes you person to spot them for that moment.”

Cindy (Michelle Collins) does spell done with the program by attempting to smooch George – but reveals that she was asked to by Elaine, throwing their wedding into jeopardy. “Elaine was the 1 who was ever trustworthy and I deliberation the fearfulness of realising she doesn’t cognize whether he’s trustworthy, and that’s wherefore she’s done this, is simply a devastating feeling.” With Elaine dragging up George and Cindy’s romanticist past erstwhile again, bash George and Elaine person a future?

“It’s an absorbing question – Cindy is the antithesis of Elaine,” Harriet says. “She’s gorgeous similar a exemplary and Elaine is much panto. It’s ever the menace of idiosyncratic other and, arsenic a view, you spot the prime George has. He has a beauteous pistillate who lives implicit the roadworthy and yet he’s with Elaine successful the pub having a laugh. It’s what matters, and what’s going to last. When you scope maturity, you statesman to cognize what you don’t privation successful beingness – and you privation idiosyncratic who is going to beryllium determination for you.”

What Harriet does cognize is that she isn’t readying connected leaving the amusement immoderate clip soon. “EastEnders is an astonishing acquisition and radical endlessly disregard soap, but it’s soap opera – and opera is what we bash each the time, singing retired these astonishing characters who are multilayered and multifaceted,” she says. “Working towards this wedding, with each the pitfalls and potholes, is perfectly a gift. It’s been an honour and a joyousness to play.”

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday astatine 7:30pm connected BBC One and BBC iPlayer.