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Is EastEnders being filmed live? All you need to know about the 40th anniversary special
Find out why previous live episodes have been memorable
EASTENDERS fans will have their eyes fixed on the TV screen on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
The soap is airing a very special episode to mark its 40th anniversary — and it will be 'live' in more ways than one.
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Earlier in the celebration week, on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, the popular drama aired an hour-long episode which saw the iconic EastEnders boozer, the Queen Vic, torn apart by an explosion.
Fans are waiting for the live episode with bated breath to find out who will have survived the blast.
Thursday's episode will indeed be performed, filmed and broadcast live from the BBC's Elstree Centre.
But unlike the fates of the characters caught in the explosion, one element of the storyline has not yet been decided by the show's writers.
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Live calls
In an all-time first for the soap, the British public will determine the outcome for Denise Fox and her love life.
Voting lines are open for fans to decide whether Denise, who is played by Diane Parish, should end up with Jack (her estranged husband) or Ravi (her secret lover).
Denise and Jack’s marriage previously hit rock bottom when it came out that he’d been having an affair with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
Denise then complicated things even more by reigniting her romance with Ravi — a man with a chequered past.
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Lines for voters will close at 7:10pm, just before the episode, so that the result can be worked into the 7:30pm performance.
The broadcaster said: “Once all votes have been cast, the vote will be independently verified and handed to the EastEnders executive producer, Chris Clenshaw, just before the live show.
Watch moment The Queen Vic goes up in flames in huge explosion
“In that short amount of time, the cast and crew will disregard the losing script, and quickly prepare to depict the drama on screen that reflects the decision chosen by the viewers.
“As well as playing matchmaker for Denise, viewers will also have an extra treat when they cast their vote as they will be given the opportunity to make another decision which will go down in Walford’s history.”
While the opportunity to vote has never been a feature of previous EastEnders specials, the live episodes from Albert Square have been done in the past.
The soap marked its 25th anniversary in 2010 with its first-ever live episode, followed by another five years later to celebrate 30 years on the nation's screens.
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However, these episodes saw some memorable blunders by the cast.
Dame Barbara Windsor slipped up in 2010 when she accidentally called Charlie Brooks' character by the wrong name.
Barbara's Peggy accidentally called Janine, "June".
In another live moment gone wrong, actor Jake Wood was caught attempting to make himself retch.
The script intended for his character, Max Branning, to be sick after witnessing his son's death, but there was no time for Jake to put liquid resembling vomit in his mouth.
He opted instead to stick him fingers down his throat to cause a retching sound and simulate being sick.
Unfortunately, the camera spun to the actor at the wrong moment, and viewers watched him pretending to be sick with him fingers in his mouth.
How to watch the EastEnders live episode
The highly-anticipated live episode will air on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 7:30pm on both BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
There will not be a 6am iPlayer release.
All other episodes from the 40th anniversary week will also be available on iPlayer for on-demand viewing.
How to vote for the Eastenders live storyline
To take part in the voting, you'll need a BBC account.
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The vote closes at 7:10pm on the day of the live episode.
When the show airs at 7:30pm, the public's decision will be revealed.
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