HEATHER PEACE - THE SUN, THE TV MAG, FEBRUARY 24TH - MARCH 2ND 2001.
MY TOUGH TEST
BLUE WATCH BEAUTY HEATHER PEACE RELISHED THE DEMANDING STORY THAT LEADS TO SOME SHOCKING SCENES THIS WEEK.
Blue watch babe Sally "Gracie" Fields has felt lonely and isolated since the death of her boyfriend Joe in the last series of London's Burning.
While the rest of the team have gradually come to terms with the loss of him and collegue Sicknote, Sally has not.
But she's found a good friend in fellow firefighter Sean, from nearby Shadbrook (SHOULD BE BLACKWALL'S RED WATCH), who seems happy to lend an ear when things get too much for her. Or at least, that's what she thinks. This week their frienship is shattered for ever when Sean, played by Dominic Taylor, viciously rapes her in her flat.
Heather Peace, who plays Sally, says: "She has been quite flirtatious with him, but then she's quite a flirty character.
"Sean's behaviour is odd when he calls round, but she thinks she's being silly and asks him in for coffee. Then he jumps on her. Maybe people will think she's led him on but we all know that when a woman says no, she means no."
Whenever she shops Sean or dishes out her own brand of justice remains to be seen. In the meantime, Heather, 24, is happy with the shocking storyline.
She says: "It sounds dreadful but when they told me Sally was going to be raped I thought it was fantastic...
"Afterthree years here, I desperately wanted a strong storyline. Usually, women in the show are just there as love interests and it's dreary. But this was something I knew would really test me."
The rape means it's unlikely we'll see Heather singing again in the show. A couple of years ago she released a record off the back of it but it was not a happy experience.
She says: "I've been singing jazz for the past six years but when this record ( a cover of Bette Midler's The Rose) came out, there was a backlash against actors bringing out records. I was put in a box marked talentless. It was very depressing."
That's all behind her now and Heather's happy doing the odd gig in Brighton, where she lives, belting out jazzy numbers which clearly suit her deep, smoky humour.
"Smoky?" she says. "I've kicked the fags because six of my Blue Watch collegues and I are training for the London Marathon.
"We're running for leukaemia research. During filming breaks we would all go and do a bit of training. I blame Eddie Peel, who plays our guv'nor. He thought it would be a laugh. Laugh? I don't think so!"
