‘People think I’m joking!’ – Lytham Eastenders superfan names baby after Peggy Mitchell
Sophie Marson-Riding, 24, and partner Paul Evans, 31, welcomed daughter Peggy-Jo Evans on June 27 and already had the quirky name planned out.
Having watched the soap with her own mum, Louise, 49, and nan, Margaret, 79, since she was a young girl, Sophie says four-month-old Peggy is set to become Eastenders “number one fan” – and already watches the show in her mum’s lap.
Whilst some family and friends were “a bit dubious” on the name due to it being old-fashioned, others “weren’t shocked” as they knew what a huge fan of the soap Sophie already was. She says online commenters are “loving it” and have expressed “what a lovely name it is”.
Sophie, a carer, from Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, said: “It was last October we found out about Peggy and we were really excited from the get go. I knew her name would be Peggy before that. I wasn’t pregnant at this point and we were planning on getting a puppy. We were just talking about dog names and I loved the idea of Dot Cotton for a puppy.
“We got onto the conversation of kids names and because I love Eastenders I was throwing out Eastenders names. Peggy just stuck and I absolutely love it. When we found out we were having a little girl I was even more excited. I’m obsessed with Phil Mitchell too so it made sense.
“Paul’s mum passed away last year just before Christmas and she was called Joanne so we thought we would put a bit of her in it too. Online, quite a few people having been giving me their stories as well. One woman said she named her daughter after Mimi Maguire on Shameless”.
When she was pregnant, Sophie ordered custom made bows with Peggy Mitchell’s face printed on which her daughter now dons – as well as baby grows featuring the famed slogan ‘Get out of my pub’.
“I always have a little Peggy Mitchell bow on her,” Sophie says. “I messaged the seller and said I know it’s going to sound strange but can you put Peggy Mitchell on a bow. She thought I was joking.”
Sophie has watched the BBC soap since she was young with her own mum Louise, 49, and nan Margaret, 79, with newest addition Peggy watching often with her great-nan when Sophie takes her to visit.
She said: “She watches it now. Her little arms and legs start kicking. She’ll sit with her eyes on the television and she’s glued – she’s going to be their number one fan”.
Hoping the cast recognise Peggy online, Sophie says a shoutout from them “would be like my life complete”. Partner Paul said: “At first I used to have a joke with Sophie because she loves Peggy and Eastenders in general.
“Now I couldn’t picture her being called anything other then Peggy I absolutely love it – plus it made the love of my life happy. I love her custom Eastenders bows and outfits, we’re going to keep getting her more Eastenders themed stuff. [It] would make Sophie’s life one of the cast reaching out or sharing the story”.