It’s a big week for EastEnders as Christmas falls upon us, both on Albert Square and in the real world. With multiple major storylines set to converge over the next week it’s sure to be a typically explosive Christmas in Walford.
But when exactly is EastEnders on this week? And will episodes still drop on BBC iPlayer every day as usual?
Fret not, EastEnders has already revealed its viewing schedule for Christmas and the New Year – including details of when each episode will be available to stream.
When is EastEnders on this Christmas? Viewing schedule revealed
This year’s EastEnders will be drawn out across five days, airing from Monday (December 22) to Friday (December 26). This means that we’ll be getting two extra episodes this year – an additional one on Christmas Day, and then another on Boxing Day.
To kick the week off, EastEnders will air as normal on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday – Christmas Eve – it will then return at the later time of 6.55pm, as Nigel faces a touching reunion with old neighbours Pat and Barry Evans.
On Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25), its two-part episode will air at 7.45pm and 9.45pm. It will then return for an additional episode on Friday (December 26), at 9.30pm.
As for the New Year, EastEnders will resume its normal schedule for the week commencing Monday, December 29 until Thursday, January 1.
When will EastEnders be available to stream on BBC iPlayer?
According to the BBC, all episodes will drop as usual on BBC iPlayer except for on Thursday, which won’t land until after each episode has aired on BBC One.
But what can we expect from EastEnders this Christmas?
What’s happening this Christmas?
While details of Christmas Day have yet to be divulged, we do know that Nigel’s special episode will air this week. As Nigel celebrates the premiere of his film, his dementia symptoms take hold, and he imagines himself back in The Queen Vic, circa the mid-1990s.
This will include cameos from Christmas ghosts Pat and Barry Evans… plus the ‘return’ of Nigel’s first wife, Debbie.
Meanwhile, as the Brannings celebrate baby Jimmy’s Christening, a flashforward episode will follow Max Branning on New Year’s Day 2027. But what exactly will this entail?
And then there’s the matter of Zoe’s stalker, and the search for her long-lost son. With Christmas being a period of massive drama in Walford, fireworks will, no doubt, ensue.
Read more: EastEnders iPlayer release drops major bombshell about Jay’s new life away from Walford