EastEnders 40th Anniversary

EastEnders 40th Anniversary refers to an upcoming live episode of the British soap opera EastEnders, airing as part of the show's 40th-anniversary celebrations. In a first for the series, the episode will feature an interactive twist where viewers will have the power to vote in real time to determine the outcome of a love story that will be played out live to the nation.

This groundbreaking format has led to photos and videos being posted, primarily on X/Twitter with users humorously stating what they hope to see, including bizarre storylines.

Origin

On 9th September 2024, EastEnders announced that they would be airing a live full episode of the show to celebrate it's 40th anniversary. The announcement for EastEnders’ 40th anniversary live special came after the broadcast of that night's episode. The news broke on EastEnders' social media accounts, with the Facebook post receiving over 6,000 likes, and over 2,400 likes on X/Twitter. (see below)

Following the success of previous live episodes for the 25th and 30th anniversaries, the producers decided to enhance the viewer experience with an unprecedented interactive element. During this episode, fans will be able to vote via social media or a dedicated app to decide the fate of a love story.

This is the first time EastEnders has embraced audience participation to this extent. The specifics of the storyline under audience control have been kept under wraps, leading to widespread speculation and discussions on social media.

Spread

After the announcement was made, many users on social media reacted to the news by posting what they would like to see on the live episode.

Some users called for the resurrection of Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell, two popular characters portrayed by Samantha Womack and Rita Simons respectively, that were killed off in 2017. (see below)

Other users brought up Jo Joyner's mishap in the 2015 live episode of the show for its 30th anniversary where she accidentally called character Ian Beale, portrayed by Adam Woodyat, "Adam".

Various Examples

Search Interest