Christmas is the the most dramatic time of year for EastEnders – a period chock-full of explosive fallouts, shocking revelations and even the odd death or two.
Going all the way back to its debut in 1985, the soap has consistently brought the goods when it comes to cracking Christmases.
And this year will be no different, between Chrissie Watts’ surprise return to Albert Square, and Max’s reliably terrible dinner table behaviour.
Without further ado, here’s our pick of the greatest Christmas episodes which ever aired.
The greatest EastEnders Christmas episodes ever
10. Sharon and Dennis’ affair reveal (2004)
Following a number of failed romances (including both Mitchell brothers), Sharon Watts finally met the love of her life in Dennis Rickman. Theirs wasn’t exactly a smooth romance though, with dad Dirty Den returning to make their lives hell throughout.
But it was over Christmas lunch in 2004 when the adoptive siblings came clean about their romance. Needless to say, there were a ton of fireworks!
This involved screaming matches between Sharon, Chrissie Watts and Zoe Slater – who was dating Dennis at the time. Zoe even launched herself at Sharon following the shock news.
9. The death of Jamie Mitchell
Hearts broke all over the nation in 2002 when Jamie Mitchell died. His death was a result of Martin Fowler accidentally running him over outside the tube station.
Sonia Fowler, Phil Mitchell, and the other Mitchell members all visited Jamie in the hospital.
In a heartbreaking twist though, Sonia and Phil decided not to tell Jamie he was dying. Instead, they wanted him to enjoy his last moments without worrying about death.
In tear-jerking scenes, they expressed their love for Jamie – before he passed away, with an emotional Phil saying goodbye to the boy he considered his own son.
The greatest EastEnders Christmas episodes ever continued
8. Mick Carter’s exit (2022)
Mick was a staple on the soap – making his first appearance in 2013. In 2022 though, it was revealed that actor Danny Dyer would be leaving – and fans were gutted.
But his final episode did not disappoint! After a slew of shocking revelations and an epic clifftop stunt, Mick ended up getting lost at sea trying to save the love of his life Linda.
Although presumed dead, fans are hoping Mick will make a return one day…
7. Den Watts and Angie (1986)
This 1986 episode was EastEnders’ second-ever Christmas special – and is still one of the most-watched broadcasts in UK TV history.
Walford legends Den and Angie Watts had long been on the rocks – but when Den found out Angie lied about having just six months to live, he confronted his wife.
And in an episode watched by 30 million people, Den served his divorce papers to a stunned Angie. The fall-out resulted in one of the soap’s iconic lines, when Den gleefully told his wife “Happy Christmas Ange!”
The greatest EastEnders Christmas episodes ever continued
6. Yusef’s death (2011)
Christmas Day 2011 was eventful to say the least for the beloved Masood family.
In the lead-up, matriarch Zainab Masood was being abused by vile Yusef – and he even planned to take her to Pakistan.
After leaving Zainab’s ex Masood for dead, things took a dramatic turn when Yusef set fire to the Masood’s B&B.
The villain was left startled though when Zainab told him his daughter was inside and trapped. He quickly attempted to rescue her, not knowing Zainab was lying – and down came the building with Yusef trapped inside.
5. Abi Branning’s death (2017)
Christmastime in Walford in 2017 was rather bleak for the Branning clan.
In heartbreaking scenes, Lauren and Abi Branning attempted to stop dad Max from jumping off the Queen Vic.
But things took a horrific turn when both of them fell – with it later being revealed that Max’s youngest Abi had not survived the fall.
4. Stacey leaves Walford (2010)
Stacey is by far a Walford legend. And after dominating the soap for years, in 2010, actress Lacey Turner took a break for the first time.
In Walford, Stacey was outed as Archie Mitchell’s killer (more on that below), and she was also framed for stabbing nemesis Janine Butcher.
With time running out for Stacey, she ended up fleeing Walford with baby daughter Lily to start a new life in Mexico. Stacey was back on the soap four years later in 2014… only to leave again in 2025, for a new life in Brazil with brother Sean, this time.
3. Archie Mitchell’s whodunnit (2009)
EastEnders is famous for pulling off an epic ‘whodunnit’ storyline. And on Christmas Day in 2009, the soap was at it again – this time, it was vile Archie Mitchell who was killed off…
Fans watched on edge as the nasty guy was bashed over the head by a mysterious resident.
There were a ton of potential suspects who hated Archie – including his daughter Ronnie who he abused when she was younger, and also Stacey – who Archie raped.
The actual reveal didn’t happen for a few months, and it was eventually confirmed that it was Stacey who killed him.
2. The Six (2023)
The soap kicked off the epic The Six storyline in February 2023, with an epic flash forward showing a dead body in the Vic, surrounded by several Walford ladies.
Fast forward to December that year and on Christmas Day, the soap revealed the truth. Fair to saym nobody saw that twist coming…
In jaw-dropping scenes, it was Keanu Taylor who was murdered by Linda Carter, after he attempted to strangle Sharon Watts to death.
1. Stacey and Max’s affair reveal on EastEnders Christmas episode in 2007
Taking the top spot is of course the Stacey Slater and Max Branning affair reveal.
Nearly 20 years on, and there are still clips of this episode making its rounds online – which is a testament to how iconic it was!
In the jaw-dropping episode, the Branning and Slater clan found out about Stacey’s affair with the father of her boyfriend-then-husband Bradley Branning.
Their affair confession was caught on tape and played out to the family on the TV by Max’s daughter, Lauren… Awkward or what?!
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