EastEnders star teases “fantastic” storyline for Ian and Elaine: “The fight is on”

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With the ongoing conflict between Elaine and Ian on EastEnders, Harriet Thorpe, who plays Elaine, has hinted at more dramatic developments to come in the storyline, describing it as ‘fantastic’.

The conflict started when Elaine opened Peacock Palace and began trying to attract customers away from Kathy’s cafe. Things escalated when Elaine unintentionally hurt Kathy, and now, to make matters worse, both Elaine and Ian are running for the same open spot on the town council, putting them in direct competition.

Actor Adam Thorpe shared with Inside Soap (as reported by Digital Spy) that he enjoys the ongoing rivalry between his characters, Ian and Elaine. He explained that while other storylines on the show deal with very serious, life-or-death situations, the conflict between Ian and Elaine is amusingly small-scale – like a funny argument you’d see in a neighborhood group chat – and it’s a pleasure to perform.

Fans of the show have speculated that the ongoing conflict between the characters might blossom into a love story. When asked about this possibility, Harriet playfully avoided answering directly, simply saying she wouldn’t rule it out.

You know, Ian’s a bit of a player around Albert Square, just like Max Branning was. I honestly don’t see Elaine getting involved with that kind of drama, but then again, you never know with her, do you?

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Next week, Ian will ask Oscar for help with his campaign, but he doesn’t know that Elaine has already secretly asked Oscar to damage Ian’s reputation.

When Ian discovers their scheme, he and Elaine realize they’ve been tricked, leaving them to wonder how they’ll respond.

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Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at Fremantle, an international TV production company. He has a BA degree in English and Theatre Studies, as well as a Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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2026-03-07 15:04