EastEnders actress Heather Peace and her wife Ellie Dickinson have welcomed a new addition to their family – a puppy named Otis. The couple, who have been battling breast cancer this year, introduced the dog to their three daughters on Christmas Eve.
Peace, who plays Eve Panesar-Unwin on the BBC soap, shared a video on Instagram on December 26 showing her daughters reading a letter about the new pup before meeting him. In the caption, she explained that they had been discussing getting a dog since their previous dog Bungle died three years ago.
“Six weeks ago I could see Ellie googling dog breeds. She was ready and had done the reading and picked the little fella,” Peace wrote. She revealed that Ellie drove to pick up Otis, a cross between a shih-tzu and a dachshund (known as a schweenie), while the children were told she was visiting friends in London.
Peace announced her breast cancer diagnosis in July, revealing she had undergone chemotherapy and surgery since being diagnosed in October last year. A few months later, she shared that Dickinson had also been diagnosed with the disease earlier in the year.
“We're so excited to welcome him into our family after a very difficult couple of years,” Peace added. Fans congratulated the couple, with one commenting: “What a cutie he is! Congratulations on the newest member of your beautiful family.”
