Revealed: When EastEnders will temporarily go OFF AIR and what will be shown in its place

(Image credit: BBC)

We’ll still get our Walford fix, but in a different way

EastEnders bosses have announced that its bank of episodes, filmed before the coronavirus lockdown, will soon run out, and the soap’s final instalment – for now – will be on Tuesday 16^th June.

But it’s not all bad news, for ‘Enders fans will still be able to get their Walford fix.

Airing on Monday nights from 22^nd June is a new series, EastEnders: Secrets From The Square, in which presenter Stacey Dooley (who else?) will sit down on the set of Ian Beale’s restaurant, Walford East, with two cast members, who will reflect on their time in EastEnders, tease future storylines and reveal behind-the-scenes secrets.

Stacey Dooley on the set of EastEnders — BBC golden girl Stacey Dooley will host EastEnders: Secrets from the Square

Stars confirmed for the show include Danny Dyer (Mick Carter), Kellie Bright (Linda Carter), Letitia Dean (Sharon Watts), Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale), Diane Parish (Denise Fox) and Tameka Empson (Kim Fox).

Says Dooley, who is currently hosting the second series of BBC3’s Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make Up Star: “I grew up watching EastEnders, so walking on to Albert Square was a surreal experience as well as taking a trip down memory lane.

“Interviewing some of the legends of Walford has been great, I’ve loved every minute of it!”

Meanwhile on Tuesday nights from 23rd June, a selection of classic episodes will be shown, including ‘Sharongate’, the explosive reveal of Max and Stacey’s affair and the famous ‘Happy Christmas, Ange’ episode from 1986, when Den Watts served wife Angie with divorce papers.

Says EastEnders executive producer Jon Sen: “Although the drama from Albert Square will be off our screens for a short time, we are thrilled that fans will have a unique opportunity to see from the cast themselves just what it is like to be part of EastEnders when they see Secrets From The Square.

“As the cast look back – as well as forward – we can relive some of their most memorable moments, and to add a selection of iconic episodes into the mix means viewers will be able to get their regular Walford fix until the drama returns.”

Rival soap Emmerdale has recently returned to filming, while Coronation Street’s cast and crew will be back at work on 9^th June. EastEnders, however, will not be resuming production until the end of this month.

It hasn’t been announced when the soap is likely to return.

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Alison Slade has over 20 years of experience as a TV journalist and has spent the vast majority of that time as Soap Editor of TV Times magazine. She is passionate about the ability of soaps to change the world by presenting important, issue-based stories about real people in a relatable way. There are few soap actors that she hasn’t interviewed over the years, and her expertise in the genre means she has been called upon as a judge numerous times for The British Soap Awards and the BAFTA TV Awards.

When she is not writing about soaps, watching soaps, or interviewing people who are in soaps, she loves going to the theatre, taking a long walk or pottering about at home, obsessing over Farrow and Ball paint.