EastEnders fans recently welcomed the bombastic Knight family to Walford as Linda’s mum Elaine brought new partner George and his wild daughters Gina and Anna to the square.
As Linda reels at the intrusion of the outlandish family, led by James Bond actor Colin Salmon, eagle-eyed fans may have spotted Gina star Francesca Eloise Henry from another rival BBC soap.
Francesca burst onto the scene when she made her mark as PC Alice Brody in the gripping BBC medical soap opera, Doctors back in 2019.
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The role opened the door for the star to appear on a slew of other shows before landing her role on EastEnders.
(Image: PA)
The 28-year-old graced our screens as the enigmatic Celine in the bewitching series, A Discovery of Witches, and left us on the edge of our seats as Nix Greaves in the thrilling Amazon Prime series, Chelsea Detectives.
And let’s not forget her unforgettable guest appearance as Charlie Jarrett in Silent Witness.
Francesca made her film debut in the electrifying 2.0 Lucy, where she flawlessly portrayed the captivating character, Alyssa.
(Image: TV Grab)
But the real buzz surrounding Francesca Eloise Henry is her newest endeavor in EastEnders.
She’s set for her first romance storyline in upcoming scenes as her soon-to-be step mum Elaine Peacock make matters very awkward as she confuses Gina’s crush on Zack Hudson for one on Freddie Slater.
In next week’s events, Elaine attempts to get closer to Gina and her sister Anna by trying to play matchmaker, mistaking her crush on Zack with a fondness for Freddie.
(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Elaine establishes that Freddie is single, encouraging Gina to go for it, though she gets a knockback from Zack.
This leaves Gina gutted, though Elaine tells her that she’s had a word with him, leaving Gina hopeful.
Unaware that Elaine has confused Zack and Freddie, the awkward situation gets worse for Gina when she gets warned off by Whitney Dean, and the misunderstanding leaves Elaine in the doghouse with her stepdaughter-to-be.
(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Speaking at a press event ahead of her debut on the soap, Francesca shared: “Gina is really spiky. I think she sees kindness in everyone and wants to be more like her sister Anna, but she finds it hard to meet the world in an open-hearted way.
“She is difficult and sometimes I think: ‘Oh God, that could have been an easy interaction as they’re trying to be your mate!’
“Gina meets the world with a bit more difficulty than the rest of her family. But I think she’s kind deep down – and she is dealing with stuff.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
