EastEnders star teases Cindy trouble for George and Elaine's wedding: "She's never, never going to go away"

Next week, Elaine will still struggle with trust issues and enlists love rival Cindy (Michelle Collins) to set a honey trap for him ahead of the wedding to test his loyalty to Elaine.

After Cindy agrees, she makes her move on George after a trip down memory lane, but when she faces rejection from noble George, she soon tries to set fire to the wedding plans by exposing Elaine's role in the attempted seduction.

Will this prove to be enough to damage the pair's union?

Actress Harriet Thorpe has revealed all about what to expect from the dramatic wedding episodes in an interview with RadioTimes.com and other press.

Heading into the big day, Thorpe revealed: "Elaine is thrilled and excited, because this is the moment as both of them, both George and Elena, in their 60s, they know what they don't want in life, and this is a culmination of such a roller coaster ride of them trying to get to this point, but there's always lurking in the background, which is revealed later on, a reason why there's always uncertainty, and the fact he's already kissed. Cindy is a taper that's been lit and is very hard not to burn absolutely."

She added: "The edge has taken off the excitement. Because in the background, just that lurking suspicion, 'Is this really going to be okay? Is this for real?'"

Of course, there's a big enough issue with trust that Elaine would turn to love rival Cindy to get answers.

Discussing Elaine’s deal with Cindy, Thorpe explained: "It's a great bargaining tool, and it gives her control for the first time to really find out whether this matters or not."

She continued: "I'm never sure when Cindy says yes to anything that is from the heart. It's manipulative, and controlling, but as women, sometimes you have to trust them for that moment."

When George confronts Elaine after her manipulation is exposed, Harriet goes on: "I think also it's about trust, isn't it? And she was the one who was always trustworthy, and I think the horror of realising she doesn't know that he's trustworthy, and therefore she's done this is a hugely guilty, devastating feeling because I think she wanted to do it for her own peace of mind."

With the trust issues and the continued presence of Cindy in their lives, do George and Elaine really have a long-term future as the current couple of the Queen Vic?

“There's always that threat in the writing because Cindy is the antithesis of Elaine," continued Thorpe, "and she is gorgeous, like a model, and Elaine is more panto and I think that is always the threat of somebody else. And I think that as a viewer, you see the choice George has: he's got this beautiful woman who lives over the road, and yet he's with Elaine in the pub having a laugh.

"But again, it is what do you choose? What is going to last and what matters? When you get when you reach maturity, barely 35 obviously (laughs), you begin to know what you don't want in life and you want somebody who is going to be there for you, rather than some idealist storybook imagery. You'll have to wait and see..."

The other issue that is due to explode is that of Cindy's secret affair with George's son Junior Knight (Micah Balfour), but Thorpe remained coy on teasing those revelations.

"As a character, I didn't know anything about it right now, of course, as a viewer, it's been brilliant," she enthused.

While they may be bitter rivals on-screen, Thorpe is great pals with actress Michelle Collins away from filming.

"Well, in real life, we're friends, so we are endlessly whenever we do, we hashtag for enemies because, you know, we're mates in real life," explained Thorpe.

"But because of that, there's a trust and a dynamic and a freedom that we have because we know each other well, that again, these characters, the way it's written, is so brilliant because it allows us to be these other women and in life, go and have a cup of coffee and walk the dogs, or maybe a cocktail."

One thing that is apparent with Harriet Thorpe is her renewed love for the genre of soap opera and how she appreciates the long-term carving out of characters, particularly working alongside Colin Salmon.

"I think we adore playing these characters, and we're great pals anyway. So again, all the sort of winding, winding, maze of madness that we travel is fantastic because there's no other job that lets your character develop and keep on changing all the time.

"In shows in the West End, in various roles in other movies, you play the character, whereas this, we're making a movie every week, our characters can change absolutely 360 on an issue, and that's the challenge. And we adore it as actors, collaborative creatives, whether it's makeup, hair, costume writers, storyline producers – everybody works together.

"And I think for Colin and I, the journeys that they've had – coming in, to begin with, the outrage of her suddenly bringing in a new family, and you know, 'You'll get on with this. It'd be fine.' It was kind of amazing.

"And then, of course, there's the Cindy reveal and all the trauma that comes from that for her, for her own children. You know, the lies that were told, all the stuff that now goes into, as you said, with Junior. I mean, it's an amazing gift, and people endlessly dismiss 'soap' and it isn't – it's soap opera and opera is what we do all the time – singing out these different amazing characters who are multi-layered and multi-faceted."

Of course, it did have to be asked, has come in as new Queen Vic landlady Elaine Peacock lived up to Harriet Thorpe's expectations?

"Well, I think again, Chris Clenshaw is extraordinary and we've all had character meetings, and we all bring other thoughts and ideas about the character," she concluded.

"And yes, she has lived up to it and gone way beyond what I ever dreamed of. Because again, the back stories, new bits of information, revelatory moments that give you a reason to go, 'Oh, I get why that person's like that now' and you don't get that chance often to have all those layers endlessly. They're gifted to you.. it's been an absolute honour and joy to play."

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