EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders’ Elaine Peacock is desperate to get her new business off the ground next week, and tries to sabotage Kathy Beale’s café in the process! Wanting a new challenge after leaving The Vic, Elaine recently set about opening her very own boutique hotel in Albert Square.
Last month she officially introduced Peacock Palace to Walford by hosting a rather memorable launch event – despite her nemesis Ian’s attempts to shut her down. And this is a rivalry that is set to continue into the new year…
“Elaine and Ian have been at odds for weeks, but the pair were forced to stop quarrelling and come together at Christmas, when they starred as a married couple in Nigel’s film,” our insider reminds us. “As they say, there’s a fine line between love and hate… could there be more to this war than meets the eye?”
As 2026 kicks off, Elaine wants to start the year with a bang and is keen to drum up business for her new venture. But times are tough in January, so she resorts to dirty tactics to get punters through the door.
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Kathy and Ian get a shock when they stumble across a scandalous sign placed outside of the hotel, guaranteeing the food at Peacock Palace to be better than the offerings in the local caff!
“Unsurprisingly, Kathy and Ian are absolutely furious – not only is Elaine launching a new breakfast offer at Peacock Palace, but she’s also badmouthing the café on her leaflets and signs,” reveals our source. “You know that the Beales aren’t going to take this lying down…”
Kathy has previously been supportive of Elaine’s big business move, but that’s unlikely to be the case after her sneaky stunt. Has Elaine just set into motion a whole new feud?
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There are also some testing times ahead in the first full week of 2026 for Elaine’s daughter Linda, who takes Honey along to her school reunion after Johnny persuades her to go.
At the nostalgic event, Linda runs into Bea – a face from her past played by comedian and impressionist Ronni Ancona, who is joining the soap for this new story. It soon becomes clear that Bea and Linda have very different memories of their eventful school days…
EastEnders airs on Mondays – Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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