Heather Peace facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heather Peace
Peace in 2012
Born	Heather Mary Peace (1975-06-16) 16 June 1975 (age 50) Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Actress singer director
Years active	1996–present
Television	Emmerdale London's Burning Ultimate Force Lip Service Waterloo Road EastEnders
Spouse(s)	Ellie Dickinson ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	3

Heather Mary Peace (born 16 June 1975) is a talented English actress, singer, and director. She is also known for her work as an activist who supports equal rights for all people. You might recognize her from her roles as Eve Unwin in the BBC soap opera EastEnders or Nikki Boston in the BBC school drama Waterloo Road. She has also appeared in popular shows like London's Burning and Lip Service.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Heather Peace was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. She started playing the piano when she was just six years old. Later, as a teenager, she learned to play the guitar. Heather decided early on that she wanted to be an actress. She thanks her parents for encouraging her to follow her dreams.

She attended St Joseph's Primary School and St Joseph's Catholic College in Bradford. Her mother was a singer at St Joseph's Catholic Church, and Heather also sang there. This is where her love for music and singing truly began.

Heather's Acting Journey

Heather studied acting at Manchester Metropolitan University. She earned a special degree there.

First Steps in Television and Theatre

Heather's first big break on TV was in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She played Anne Cullen for a few months in 1997.

Her first professional role on stage was in a play called My Fair Lady in 1997. She played the main character, Eliza Doolittle. She also performed in Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Becoming a TV Star

After Emmerdale, Heather appeared in shows like The Bill. From 1998 to 2002, she became well-known as Firefighter Sally "Gracie" Fields in the ITV series London's Burning. She also played Sonia in a TV movie called Thunder Road.

Between 2003 and 2005, Heather had smaller roles in other TV series. These included Casualty and Where the Heart Is.

Action Roles and Drama

From 2005 to 2008, Heather played Becca Gallagher in the ITV action series Ultimate Force. She played a brave soldier alongside actor Ross Kemp. Heather enjoyed playing a strong, heroic character. Ross Kemp said she was "absolutely superb" in the role.

In 2006 and 2007, Heather starred in The Chase. She played Fiona Jones, a single mum. This role was different from her action characters. She also appeared in Coronation Street and Heartbeat. In 2008, she was in Blue Murder. She also played Captain Jill Mandelson in the film 31 North 62 East. In this movie, she played two characters, twins Jill and Kimberly, who uncover political secrets.

Popular Roles in Lip Service and Waterloo Road

In 2010, Heather was cast as Detective Sergeant Sam Murray in the BBC Three series Lip Service. The show became very popular, and Heather's character, Sam, gained many fans. She said she would "definitely" return to the role if a third season was made.

In 2011, Heather joined the cast of Waterloo Road. She played Nikki Boston, who started as Head of English and later became Deputy Headteacher. She took breaks to tour with her music but returned for parts of Series 8 and 9.

Recent TV Appearances

In 2014, Heather was in the ITV drama Prey. She played Abi Farrow, the wife of the main character. In 2016, she appeared in The Coroner. In 2019, she was in Silent Witness and later played Alex Dawson in Holby City.

In 2019, Heather hosted a show called Heather Peace at the Bedford on Diva Box Office. This was a new digital TV channel. In 2021, it was announced that Heather would join the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Eve Unwin.

Heather's Singing Career

Heather is a talented musician. She was trained in classical piano from a young age and later learned guitar.

Early Music and First Album

In 2000, Heather's character in London's Burning sang "The Rose". This song was later released and reached number 58 in the UK music charts. She then focused on acting for a while.

In 2011, Heather returned to music. She had a sold-out tour across the UK. She also released an album with acoustic versions of songs and some of her own original music.

Her first full jazz album, Fairytales, came out in 2012. It reached number 43 on the UK Albums Chart. She toured the UK to support the album. During a concert in London, she even sang a duet with Alison Moyet.

New Music and Tours

In 2013, she released a single called "Fight For". She also released a special version of her Fairytales album. Heather has toured Australia twice. She performed at the Sydney Mardi Gras and hosted the event for SBS TV.

On 9 June 2014, Heather released her second studio album, The Thin Line, and a single called "We Can Change". She launched the single in Brighton with Europe's first rainbow crossing. Heather wrote all the songs on The Thin Line and Fairytales. She worked with other songwriters on some tracks, like "We Can Change" (with Shelly Poole) and "Lily" (with Michael Clancy).

Heather worked on The Thin Line with producer James Lewis. She took a break from acting to focus on this album. After its release, she performed at several festivals. She toured with her band in October 2014 and did acoustic tours in 2015.

In 2016, Heather planned an EP and more tours. She started a PledgeMusic project for her EP, Come Home. Her fans quickly helped her raise the money needed. Come Home was released on 8 April 2016. She worked with James Lewis again for this EP. Heather described Come Home as a "love story" told in 20 minutes.

Personal Life and Activism for Equality

Heather Peace is a strong supporter of equality for all people. She is a patron of Manchester Pride, which celebrates diversity. She also made a video for Stonewall's "It Gets Better" campaign, which offers hope to young people. She works with charities like Diversity Role Models and the Albert Kennedy Trust, which help young people.

Heather has hosted her own "Heather Peace Presents" stage at Manchester Pride events. In 2016, she became a columnist for Diva magazine. She felt honored to be part of a magazine that was important to her.

In 2010 and 2011, she was listed among important people who support equality in the Independent on Sunday's Pink List. She was also voted number 18 on AfterEllen's 2011 Hot 100 list. She is the only woman to have been on the cover of Diva magazine twice in six months.

Heather married her longtime partner, Ellie Dickinson, in 2013. They later converted their civil partnership to a marriage in 2014. They have three daughters together. Annie Mary was born in April 2015, and twins Jessie and Lola were born in June 2017.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Discography

Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Heather Peace para niños