Harriet Thorpe talks latest EastEnders dramas for Elaine

Things between George and Elaine have taken a turn for the worse down Walford way…

Talking about forthcoming episodes Harriet Thorpe, who plays Elaine Knight in EastEnders, has been pondering the latest storyline for her character and family. Next week viewers will see Elaine ‘putting on a brave face’ by throwing money around – from free drinks to loaning out money – while her marriage and finances take a tumble.

How is Elaine coping with the latest troubles in her marriage to George?

I’m not sure Elaine is coping at all! It’s endless trials and tribulations as she’s being lied to all the time, and it always seems to involve George’s past loves. So, she’s dealing with things as best she can and trying to put on the front that she always puts on, but I’m not sure it’s working.

How is Elaine feeling towards Cindy right now?

Elaine saw Cindy hug George so she’s not best pleased. Cindy is always lurking in the bushes, ready to jump out at George and as far as Elaine is concerned, she’s an irritant. The trouble is that Cindy is everything that Elaine isn’t.

Elaine gets a pep talk from Drew Peacock in this week’s EastEnders / BBC

Why has Elaine found it so hard to believe George wouldn’t go running to Cindy?

There’s a good reason – she’s seen him run to Cindy time and time again, and he hasn’t been honest about it. What trust can Elaine have when George has done this so many times and what does that do to her value as a woman? George keeps lying so her faith in him has disappeared, as has her sense of value as a person.

Do you think getting a pep talk from Drew Peacock helped her?

I think speaking to Drew gave her a sense of worth and reminded her that she has a right to be honoured. It was great to have Drew there because if he hadn’t been her husband’s lover all those years ago, I think they would have been great friends, that’s the irony. But now they’ve both been able to let go of that part of the past, Drew proves to be a great support to Elaine. He’s there in the moment to have her back and tell her to know her worth.

EastEnders – Elaine and Kim enjoy a laugh in next week’s EastEnders / BBC

Despite all her troubles, Elaine gets glammed up for a party at The Vic. Does she welcome the distraction?

Yes, she does. Elaine’s strapline for life is get off the pity pot, crack a smile and get on with it! However, Elaine is putting a plaster on a gaping wound and doesn’t want to show her vulnerability. She thinks if she puts on a costume, does her hair, applies her lipliner and pops on her heels, she’ll feel back to her old self.

The Vic finances aren’t great. Why does Elaine decide to give everyone free drinks?

Elaine is living up to her fantasy dream that everything’s ok and drinks are always on the house when Elaine is like this. She also books Priya on a cruise because she’s had one too many and she decides to play Fairy Godmother in the moment. Elaine thinks, ‘Life’s too short, book the cruise,’ but Linda does not see things in the same way.

EastEnders, BBC One, Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm. Also available on the iPlayer