Peter Beale (Thomas Law) is in the dark about his wife Lauren Branning's (Jacqueline Jossa) affair with Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), as the couple's relationship faces mounting turmoil in EastEnders. Recent conflict between their parents, Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) and Max Branning (Jake Wood), has taken a toll on Peter and Lauren's marriage, pushing Lauren into Mark's arms after months of resistance.
Peter currently knows nothing about his wife's betrayal, a situation that is set to continue until at least New Year. A flashforward appears to show the couple still together while hinting that Lauren's affair remains ongoing.
Star Teases What's Next for Peter
When asked to tease what's coming up for his character, Thomas Law was direct in his response: 'It's chaos, as per usual, and a lot of deceit. There's gonna be heartbreak.'
Explaining why Peter stays with Lauren despite their near-constant misery, Law told The Mirror: 'Family is the strongest bond, everything is deeply rooted in family with regards to the Beales.' He added that the two share a 'trauma bond', having grown up in Walford together and endured the losses, heartache and trauma that comes with it.
On how the couple could make it through, Law said: 'Peter seems to do things right for Lauren, he's got to reassess if things go wrong, but as long as he keeps Lauren, he's got to just be Peter, he makes her laugh.'
Mark's Explosive Reveal Ahead
Stephen Aaron-Sipple, who plays Mark, has also spoken about the explosive reveal: 'Mark normally just goes for what he wants and takes what he wants, he doesn't care about the consequences.'
He added: 'There's obviously going to be some disaster. She's a married woman! We'll see how that plays out!'
Lauren and Mark initially came together when he set his sights on using her car lot as a conduit for his stolen car scam. His ultimate aim was to clear the debt he owed to his former drugs boss, though genuine chemistry soon developed between them.
Although Peter discovered the criminal undercurrent of their connection, he remained unaware of how close they were to giving in to their lust. Lauren eventually asked Mark to leave Walford to prove his feelings were genuine, and he agreed, moving away before re-emerging at the worst possible time.
Returning home to say his goodbyes to his family ahead of a move back to America, Mark found Lauren and Peter at breaking point after Peter discovered Lauren knew about Max's cheating on his mum, taking Cindy's side as the family erupted into a bitter clash.
Heading straight for Mark, Lauren finally abandoned her resolve, and the two agreed to enter into an affair on the proviso that it remains 'low-key' and 'casual'. The secret came under major threat when new 'Enders villain Ned Hawkins (Jamie Bamber) caught them at it and demanded a favour of Mark: to rough up his son, Ryder (Felix Uff), to keep him from coming out of the closet. Though Mark was repulsed by the request, Lauren pleaded with him to play along, terrified of her family collapsing should Ned reveal the affair, and he was forced to comply.
