FANS of EastEnders have been left venting at the soap after they ‘completely sidelines’ one of its most popular characters.
Eve Unwin, played by Heather Pearce, found herself at the heart of many episodes of the show last year as a result of her hidden romance with Suki Panesar.
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Her feud with Suki’s husband Nish saw him kidnap her with his son Ravi in a bid to rid her of Suki’s life.
The dramatic week of episodes saw Eve and Ravi involved in a tussle in the woods as he pretended he had killed her before ultimately letting her go free.
It placed Eve front and centre in Walford but in the following months, she has failed to feature as prominently.
With her main connection to the Square being her girlfriend Suki, she has taken a backseat in many of her current storylines including the aftermath of The Six murder plot.
But it has left some fans feeling underwhelmed after they were left crying out for more scenes and stories involving the complex character.
Writing online, one EastEnders viewer said: “The more I watch the show, the more I see how underutilised Eve has been lately.
“However, I feel like Eve hasn’t really had much to do on her own ever since she’s arrived. She’s always just kind of been there for someone else.
“Lately she’s just been completely sidelined, when they could really be showing her trying to bond with some of the other Panesar family members.”
Another issued a warning to soap bosses to say: “They’re in massive danger of her becoming a spare wheel.”
A third went on to say: “Couldn’t agree more. They need to bring in Eve’s backstory, which automatically is her own.
“It looked like they were for a moment, but dropped it.”
But a fourth argued: “Eve is acted so woodenly that the scriptwriters darent give her any bigger stories.”
Eve has mostly been featured in addition to Suki in recent weeks as she battles through the end of her marriage to a dying Nish.
She has also been helping her and Vinny in attempting to take down Nish and steal his money and businesses from him, however this plan quickly backfired when Nish realised that they were playing him.
Eve’s connection to the Slater’s has also seemingly been forgotten with the character rarely sharing any on-screen moments with Stacey and co.
Stacey Slater’s biggest EastEnders storylines
Stacey Slater, played by Lacey Turner, is one of the most iconic characters on EastEnders. Since her introduction in 2004, Stacey has been at the center of some of the soap’s most memorable and gripping storylines. Here’s a rundown of a few.
- Mental Health Struggles and Bipolar Diagnosis (2009)
Stacey’s battle with bipolar disorder was one of the soap’s groundbreaking storylines. Her erratic behavior, mood swings, and hallucinations led to her eventual diagnosis, highlighting the challenges of living with mental illness. - Stacey and Max Branning’s Affair (2007)
One of the most explosive storylines in the soap’s history involved Stacey’s affair with her father-in-law, Max Branning. Stacey was married to Max’s son Bradley at the time, and their affair was exposed in dramatic fashion on Christmas Day when a recording of their tryst was played to the entire family. - The Murder of Archie Mitchell (2009)
After a widespread hunt for Archie’s killer EastEnders fans eventually discovered Stacey was responsible for his death. She murdered him on Christmas day after he raped her. When she confessed her crime to Max Branning, the couple got closer. - Postpartum Psychosis (2016)
After the birth of her son Arthur, Stacey suffered from postpartum psychosis. She struggled with delusions and became paranoid, believing that the devil was trying to harm her child. Her breakdown was a pivotal moment that brought her close to her family and helped educate the public about this serious mental health condition. - Stacey’s Imprisonment (2021)
Stacey faced imprisonment after being falsely accused of attacking her one time best friend, Ruby Allen. This plotline saw Stacey having to leave her family behind while she served time. - Lily’s Pregnancy and Becoming a Grandmother (2023)
A recent major storyline saw Stacey grappling with the shock of her 12-year-old daughter Lily becoming pregnant. This brought new challenges and responsibilities for Stacey as she tried to face becoming a grandmother while still dealing with her own struggles.
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