EastEnders set to go live for 40th anniversary with a twist

EastEnders is turning 40, and it’s doing so with a bang.

The iconic soap is going live once more, but this time there’s a twist – viewers will decide the outcome of a major storyline.

In a first for the show, EastEnders fans will have the chance to shape the fate of a love story during the live episode, which will air from BBC Elstree Centre in February 2025.

The identities of the characters involved are still a mystery, but one thing is clear: the power will be in the hands of the audience as they vote for how the story should end.

Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw is promising a week packed with drama and surprises.

“The 40th anniversary is a milestone event for EastEnders, and we have been planning this week for a long time to ensure that it’s full of drama and surprises,” he said.

“We’re giving the audience the power to have their say in choosing the outcome of one of our storylines. Whilst we’re still keeping the finite details of the 40th close to our chest, I can promise that it will be an unmissable week full of shocking twists that will change Albert Square, and the lives of those who live in it, forever.”

The live format isn’t new to EastEnders, which previously went live for its 25th and 30th anniversaries.

In 2010, viewers watched live as Stacey Slater was revealed as the killer of Archie Mitchell, and in 2015, the “Who Killed Lucy Beale?” saga was resolved with live elements across five episodes.

This time, however, the audience won’t just be watching – they’ll be in the director’s chair.

Details on how the interactive element will work, as well as more about the characters and storyline involved, will be revealed closer to the big week.

Until then, get ready to have your say in the lives of Albert Square’s residents.

Watch EastEnders on BBC iPlayer.