In 2009 Peggy ran as an independent candidate in the local council elections against Archie's wishes. Writers wanted a storyline that allowed Peggy to stand up for her beliefs, and felt that running for local government would allow her to speak passionately about the community. After a scene showed Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) asking Peggy, "Where would Tony Blair have been without Alastair Campbell?", Campbell responded by giving advice to Peggy in a video blog. A response from Peggy was then recorded, thanking Campbell for his input. Peggy pulled out of the election at Archie's request ahead of their wedding, however the storyline set up a later episode in which Boris Johnson made a guest appearance in "EastEnders". On 1 October 2009, Johnson appeared in the show as himself, visiting Walford and The Queen Victoria and conversing with Peggy. Johnson commented on his appearance: "It was, of course, a tremendous honour to step inside that most venerable of London landmarks, The Queen Vic, and share a scene with another of the capital's icons, the fabulous Barbara Windsor." Executive producer Diederick Santer stated: "We couldn't let the visit pass without the Mayor entering London's most famous pub, The Queen Vic, and meeting its formidable and politically active landlady Peggy Mitchell." The episode was watched by 8 million viewers, winning "EastEnders" a 38% audience share in the timeslot.