EastEnders’ Peter Beale star Thomas Law’s family life from co-star mum to Hollywood ex

The 33-year-old originally arrived in Albert Square as Peter Beale in 2006 before leaving in 2010. However, fans were thrilled when he reprised the role for a second stint in 2023.

Walford legend Peter has been a mainstay on EastEnders for an impressive 33 years since his character was first introduced.

The character made his debut in 1993 as the son of Ian (portrayed by Adam Woodyatt) and Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), and twin to his now-deceased sister Lucy.

Over the past three decades, Peter has found himself embroiled in several major storylines, including the shocking return of Cindy after 25 years, despite her character being killed off. He also found out he had two other half-sisters, Gina and Anna Knight (played by Francesca Henry and Molly Rainford), after Cindy had another secret family during her marriage to George (Colin Salmon).

Most recently, Peter was left heartbroken when his newborn son Jimmy, whom he shares with wife Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa), was confirmed to have been born severely sight impaired.

He has also endured his mum shacking up with his father-in-law, Max Branning (Jake Wood), and his own dad, Ian, is facing prison after he injured Jordan Fox in a hit-and-run.

Peter can regularly be seen hanging around the market as he runs the iconic fruit and veg stall after Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) death, so it’s fair to say that being a part of the Beale family has never been smooth sailing.

Thomas’ rise to fame

Thomas is originally from Hertfordshire and grew up in Potters Bar with his parents and two older sisters. He shot to fame after landing the role of Peter Beale on EastEnders in 2006.

However, he left the BBC soap in 2010, with Ben Hardy stepping into the role from 2013 until 2015, before Dayle Hudson took over for two years in 2020.

During his hiatus from the soap, Thomas continued to act, appearing in several ITV dramas, including a role as DC Eddie Martin in The Bay from 2021 until 2023.

He also had a role in Casualty in 2014, as well as appearances in the films Unhallowed Ground (2015), Framed (2021), and Last Train to Christmas (2021).

During his time away, Thomas remained linked to EastEnders as his mum and sister work on the show. While speaking at a previous press event, he shared a touching family revelation about the show and mentioned his family’s behind-the-scenes roles.

Thomas shared: “I was filming another job at the time, so keeping it a secret was OK, as I couldn’t tell anyone I was working with there. When you’re working on these jobs, you don’t really get to socialise much anyway.”

Further, he divulged: “My mum and sister both work at EastEnders, so they found out two weeks into me knowing as they heard a few whispers which they, of course, had to keep a secret too.”

In 2023, Peter Beale made a dramatic comeback, which was the first opportunity for Thomas to act alongside former on-screen mum Michelle Collins since she left the square in 1998.

Who is Thomas Law dating?

Thomas tends to keep his love life out of the spotlight. However, in 2024, he was linked to a camera assistant, Tylor Jane.

The actor was seen looking smitten while the couple enjoyed a day out together at Whipsnade Zoo in Dunstable. She tagged Thomas in the photo and added a red love heart.

He has previously been linked to former EastEnders co-star Madeline Duggan, who played Laurem Branning, and Hollywood actress and singer Sofia Carson, with whom he co-starred in the American movie ‘A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits’ back in 2016.

Sofia has also starred in Netflix’s Purple Hearts and Disney’s Descendants, and is a singer/songwriter.

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer