"EastEnders 40th Anniversary Week" is a group of episodes of the British television soap opera EastEnders, broadcast on BBC One from 17 to 20 February 2025. Devised to celebrate the programme's 40th anniversary on the BBC, the week includes an episode broadcast live; this is only the fourth occasion when EastEnders has been filmed in this way. It was produced by Chris Clenshaw, and filmed and broadcast from BBC Elstree Centre. Lance Kneeshaw directed all four episodes, while Bryan Kirkwood, Simon Ashdown, Kevin Rundle and Lauren Klee were appointed as writers.

In a first for the show, it contains interactivity with viewers, who will vote to decide the outcome of a storyline, being which male suitor Denise Fox (Diane Parish) chooses out of Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara). Upon the voting going live, viewers are also allowed to vote what name Sonia should name her baby out of Julia and Toni (names being references to the creators of EastEnders; Julia Smith and Tony Holland). The week also includes a fire and explosion at The Queen Victoria public house, Billy (Perry Fenwick) and Honey Mitchell's (Emma Barton) wedding, Phil Mitchell's (Steve McFadden) mental health struggle, and the identity of Cindy Beale's (Michelle Collins) attacker being revealed. The episode also featured the departures of Jonny Freeman and James Bye as Reiss Colwell and Martin Fowler respectively, with both being killed by the explosion.

In the lead-up to the anniversary week, several former characters have returned to the show, going on to appear during the week itself, including Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton), Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) and, most notably, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp). Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) also made an unannounced return during the actual anniversary episode itself, appearing as a hallucination to Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean). Cast members were kept largely in the dark about plot specifics, with some expressing excitement and trepidation about participating in another live episode. Alongside his return as Grant, Kemp presented a documentary, EastEnders: 40 Years on the Square, following the show's forty-year history.

In an interview with Digital Spy in October 2023, EastEnders' executive producer Chris Clenshaw confirmed that production for a 40th anniversary celebration for the soap was underway.^[2] On 9 September 2024, the BBC announced that the show would broadcast a live episode to celebrate the occasion.^[3] The episode would be part of a "special week" of episodes to celebrate the milestone.^[4] The fourth occasion of a live broadcast for the soap, and the eighth individual episode to be broadcast live,^[4] the episode marked the serial's first one in ten years; with the last incident being a special live week in 2015 for the "Who Killed Lucy Beale?" storyline.^[5] The air date was set for February 2025, with the episode to be filmed and broadcast from the BBC Elstree Centre.^[3] The upcoming episode was also set to be the first interactive episode in the show's history, as viewers would be able to vote on the outcome of a storyline.^[3] Clenshaw said that the 40th anniversary would be a "milestone event" for the soap.^[3] To ensure that the episode was "full of drama and surprises", Clenshaw disclosed that the episode had been planned for weeks prior to the announcement.^[3] Clenshaw kept details of the episode's plot a tight secret, but promised viewers "an unmissable week full of shocking twists that will change Albert Square, and the lives of those who live in it, forever".^[3] He added that the interactive element was incorporated as a reward for viewers.^[3] It was later confirmed that the anniversary celebrations would be Clenshaw's final episodes as executive producer.^[6]

Upon the episode's announcement, Clenshaw noted that the show had begun bringing characters back for stints and promised more to build up to the week of the anniversary.^[3] Shortly before, it was reported that actress Louisa Lytton would be returning to her role as Ruby Allen after three years absence,^[7] with it being rumored that she would be an important character in the anniversary celebration.^[8] In December 2024, it was announced that the anniversary would feature a return of Paul Bradley as Nigel Bates after over 26 years.^[9][10] The trend of returning characters lead to speculations of a popular character's return to the soap during the anniversary week, with characters Grant Mitchell and Mick Carter being the most commonly tipped to return.^[4] On 1 January 2025, it was confirmed that Kemp would be reprising the role for a short stint for the anniversary.^[11] Kemp was "delighted" to be returning to soap, saying, "EastEnders has always meant so much to me, so to return as the show is about to celebrate such a special anniversary, is an absolute honour. Grant has never been far from the action and let’s just say, this time is no different as he certainly comes back with a bang".^[12] Executive producer Chris Clenshaw was also "absolutely thrilled" to be welcoming Kemp to portray the "legendary" Grant, and teased that whilst he would not reveal what would bring Grant back, he confirmed that the return would "make up many moments of truly unmissable TV" and be a "significant part" of the soap's 40th anniversary.^[13]

The cast were kept in the dark about the plot details.^[14] At the 29th National Television Awards, cast members Diane Parish and Scott Maslen were asked about the upcoming episode. As both had starred in previous live episodes for the soap, Parish admitted she was "a bit terrified" to do another one while Maslen, having incorrectly delivered a line in the 25th anniversary live episode, expressed stress.^[15] Jacqueline Jossa expressed excitement to film another live episode, opining: "there are many things that EastEnders does well and a live episode is definitely one of them".^[16] Adam Woodyatt recalled that after the cast read the scripts for the first time, the collective feeling was a bewildered "what the fuck?" as cast members were unsure how the live element would be filmed.^[17]

On 6 January 2025, it was announced that the previously teased interactive element would give the viewers the choice of who the character Denise Fox would decide to pursue a romantic relationship with. The choice was between Denise's estranged ex-husband Jack Branning and her "secret lover" Ravi Gulati, with the outcome set to be revealed during the live episode.^[18] Clenshaw expressed excitement to give viewer's the opportunity to choose, as well as to see which suitor they would choose for Denise.^[19][20][21] Parish voiced appreciation for the choice being centred on a woman's choice.^[22]

The vote was confirmed to open on 19 February 2025, following the episode's conclusion, and be open from 8:30 pm to 7:10 pm the following day, only twenty minutes before the live episode's airing.^[23] To vote, audiences had to answer a poll on the BBC website.^[24] After being independently verified, Clenshaw would have to discard the script that lost.^[24] It was teased on 31 January 2025 that as well as voting for Denise's partner, viewers would also be given another vote to decide a development in a story.^[23] This choice was later revealed to be that viewers would choose the name of Sonia Fowler's (Natalie Cassidy) baby, with viewers being given the options of Julia and Toni, after the show's creators Julia Smith and Tony Holland, respectively.^[25]

The results of each vote were revealed in the live episode, as it depicted Denise rekindling her romance with Jack and Sonia naming her newborn daughter Julia.^[26]

It was confirmed that former EastEnders actor Ross Kemp would host a special one-off documentary for the celebration, including interviews with both former and current stars.^[27] Titled EastEnders: 40 Years on The Square, the documentary was set to "revisit some of the show's most poignant and ground-breaking storylines".^[28] Guests ranged from long-running present actors such as Adam Woodyatt, Gillian Taylforth and Letitia Dean to "iconic" former stars Anita Dobson and Pam St Clement, who portrayed characters Angie Watts and Pat Butcher, respectively.^[28][29] The special was produced by Pulse Films and commissioned by Yasemin Rashit.^[28] Kemp called it a "privilege" to present the documentary, and noted that while filming he was "constantly reminded of the impact EastEnders has" on the cast, crew members, and audiences alike. He added that he appreciated the opportunity to "take a trip down memory lane", having first portrayed Grant over thirty years ago.^[29] The documentary's executive producer Joe Ingham, explained that as EastEnders had a "transformative effect on television audiences for forty years", it had been a "privilege" to explore the show's history.^[29] The special aired on BBC One at 8:00 pm on 17 February.^[30]

It was later announced that the show would revive spin-off documentary series EastEnders: Revealed, which originally aired in the 1990s and 2000s and lent focus on popular EastEnders characters and storylines, to tease the storylines taking place across the week. Titled EastEnders Revealed: The Lock-In, it was set to be hosted by former EastEnders actor Joe Swash and broadcast for forty-five minutes on BBC Three at 8:00 pm on 18 February.^[31][30] Guest stars for the special included EastEnders actresses Natalie Cassidy, Jacqueline Jossa, and Patsy Palmer, as well as a musical performance from an unknown celebrity "EastEnders superfan".^[32] The special was commissioned by Nasfim Haque, Danielle Scott-Haughton and Milly Chu. Swash was honoured to be chosen to host and added "it was great to hear from the cast themselves about what we can expect from the week".^[32]

Filming for the non-live parts of the episode, including the explosion of The Queen Victoria public house, concluded in December 2024.^[17][33][34] The live episode was filmed from BBC Elstree Centre.^[35]

It was confirmed that on the episode broadcast on the day of show's 40th anniversary, 19 February 2025, an hour-long episode would be broadcast, with a thirty-minute live episode airing the following day, 20 February 2025.^[36] The other two episodes were also thirty minutes. The four episodes broke the show's usual practice of uploading episodes on BBC iPlayer at 6:00 am before broadcast.^[37]

The residents of Albert Square gather to celebrate Honey (Barton) and Billy Mitchell's (Fenwick) wedding. Sharon Watts (Dean) delivers a monologue to Honey to remind her of why she's marrying Billy. Grant Mitchell (Kemp) dismisses Nigel Bates' (Bradley) claim that Phil Mitchell (McFadden) is struggling with his mental health. Cindy Beale's (Collins), who was attacked in a whodunit on Christmas Day, plan to out her fiance, Ian Beale (Woodyatt), as her attacker is foiled when Priya Nandra-Hart (Levi) reveals Cindy paid her to seduce him and find Cindy's locket that was stolen during the attack. As Phil considers making a second attempt on his life, Lexi Pearce (Brown) interrupts and persuades him to listen to her speech for Honey and Billy's wedding. Grant is reunited with Bianca Jackson (Palmer), where she confronts him about abusing his wife, Tiffany Mitchell (Martine McCutcheon), until she died in 1999.

At the wedding ceremony, the male guests prank Billy by pretending to object to the marriage, and he gets married to Honey for the second time. Cindy interrupts the wedding by attempting to publicly humiliate Ian but fails. She then attempts to persuade Phil to give her a gun to kill Ian, but he refuses. Grant attempts to apologise to Bianca about Tiffany but she doesn’t accept. Lexi delivers a speech at the wedding congratulating Honey and Billy. Martin Fowler (Bye) conveys his suspicions to Ian about one of Cindy's children being her attacker, either Peter Beale (Law), Gina Knight (Henry) or Anna Knight (Rainford). Phil has a temporary relapse with alcoholism by taking a sip of beer, but doesn’t finish it. He returns home to find his gun stolen from the safe where he kept it. Cindy, having stolen the gun, breaks into Ian's house to find an unidentified person holding her locket.

Ian is revealed to be holding Cindy's locket, but denies attacking her. Linda Carter (Bright) agrees to talk to Phil about his relapse. Martin is drawn between his two ex-wives, Ruby Allen (Lytton) and Stacey Slater (Turner), where Stacey's mother, Jean (Wright), persuades her daughter to tell Martin about her feelings. As Cindy demands answers, Ian tells her that he believes Peter attacked her, but Cindy refuses to believe it. Ian's mother, Kathy Beale (Taylforth), interrupts and reveals that she, herself, attacked Cindy. As Linda goes to check on Phil, he quietly slips out the back door. She notices multiple suicide notes on the kitchen table, written to Sharon, Grant, and his two oldest children, Ben (Max Bowden) and Louise (Tilly Keeper). Kathy explains the details of the attack to Cindy; after Ian threw her out on Christmas Day, she saw her returning to Albert Square after being unable to get a tube. Bianca returns home early from the wedding, unaware Reiss Colwell (Freeman), who is on the run for murder, is watching her from a distance. Cindy tries to shift some of the blame from Kathy onto Ian. As she prepares to shoot Ian, he attempts to wrestle the gun from her, but is shot in the arm. Denise Fox (Parish), also drawn between her ex-husband, Jack Branning (Maslen), and her new boyfriend, Ravi Gulati (Thiara), finds herself dancing with them both at the wedding reception. Linda informs Grant and Nigel about Phil's intentions to take his own life, but decides not to tell Sharon. Looking for Cindy, Phil breaks into Junior Knight's (Balfour) flat, to retrieve the gun from her. As Kathy tends to Ian, Cindy steps outside, where Phil takes the gun back.

Bianca finds Reiss in the her kitchen, with a card addressed to her sister and his fiance, Sonia Fowler (Cassidy). As Bianca attempts to call 999, Reiss takes the phone away and runs off, with Bianca giving chase. Stacey comes to Martin about her feelings, but he rejects her, accusing her of manipulate him. Reiss gets in his car, however the engine fails to turn over, but eventually does and speeds off, nearly running over Bianca. Linda, Grant and Nigel find Phil locked in The Arches, forcing Grant to kick the door in. Reiss' escape route is blocked, forcing him to turn around. As Ian attempts to make a deal with Cindy, she pushes him into Reiss' path, causing him to swerve and crash into The Queen Vic, knocking over several canisters of gas and his car catches fire. Grant eventually breaches The Arches door, finding Phil alone with his gun, preparing to take his life. George Knight (Salmon) pulls Reiss to safety, but he runs off. His car explodes, laterly causing The Vic to explode and part of it collapses.

In the aftermath of the explosion, Jack and George lead those outside the pub into Kathy's Café and the marquee; inside, survivors of the explosion, including Ravi, Priya, Alfie Moon (Richie), Suki Panesar-Unwin (Sopal), Davinder "Nugget" Gulati (Choudhury), Avani Nandra-Hart (James), Freddie Slater (Brazier), Kim Fox (Empson), Howie Danes (Atkinson) and Denzel Danes (Ladega) escape through a smashed window. Meanwhile, Martin helps Ruby, Jean and his daughter Lily Slater (Turner) escape before returning to the bathroom to rescue Stacey, who has been trapped under the rubble in the explosion, unaware that Kathy and Cindy are still unconscious behind the bar.

Back at the garage, Phil tries to shoot himself but realises there are no bullets; an enraged Grant, unable to cope with Phil's condition, storms off to assist in the rescue of survivors from the Queen Vic. Linda decides to stay with Phil while Nigel seeks medical attention for Phil. While initially refusing to see a professional over his condition, he eventually decides to speak with a doctor after Nigel emotionally convinces him upon revealing his dementia.

The fire brigade arrives at the Queen Vic to secure the building before anyone else can be rescued, while the police arrive to arrest Reiss, who remains missing. Inside the pub, Kathy decides to escape the pub and leave a severely-injured Cindy to die, however, she has a change of heart and escapes the building with Cindy, who is then taken to hospital. In the ambulance, she informs the paramedics that she has nothing to thank Kathy for, in light of the Christmas Day attack.

Martin eventually rescues Stacey from the bathroom but she refuses to leave without discussing her and Martin's relationship, believing they still have a future together. The two bicker over their past before becoming trapped in the building by falling rubble, they begin digging their way out of the building. Meanwhile, Sonia and Lauren Branning (Jossa) are trapped in the kitchen as Sonia goes into labour. Outside, Grant learns that Sharon is trapped inside, he and Bianca agree to set their differences aside so as to enter the building and rescue Sonia and Sharon, a severely-injured Reiss overhears them and follows them inside.

Sharon, trapped beneath some rubble on the staircase, experiences a vision of her late mother Angie Watts (Dobson) who encourages her to keep going, Sharon then cries out for help and is rescued by Grant, who then watches as Phil is taken to a mental health clinic. Bianca reaches Sonia and Lauren in the kitchen but the three are confronted by Reiss, who refuses to allow them to escape. In the ensuing struggle, Bianca pushes Reiss into a wall, the impact of which causes the top floor to collapse, sending a bathtub into the hallway and crushing Reiss to death. Martin and Stacey eventually reach the main bar, where Martin finally confesses his love for Stacey; the roof above them then collapses and Martin is crushed by a beam.

In the live episode, Martin is trapped under beam, unable to feel his legs, promoting Stacey to scream for help. Sonia, in labour, is forced to give birth amongst the wreckage, with only Bianca and Lauren to help her. Stacey attempts to lift the beam off Martin, but it’s too heavy for her. Outside, Linda advises Denise to move on with her life, by choosing the man that makes her the most happy. In the cafe, where many of the survivors have gathered, Kat Slater (Wallace) arrives home to discover what's happened, whilst Jean fears for Martin and Stacey's safety. Yolande Trueman (Wynter) leads the survivors in a prayer for Martin and Stacey. Denise knocks the door of the man she has chosen, and when the door is opened, it is revealed to be Jack, unaware Ravi is watching from a distance. Whilst waiting for the fire brigade to remove the beam, the paramedics advise Stacey to keep Martin calm and talking. Martin tells Stacey that he's always loved her and that never truly loved Ruby. Martin asks Stacey to marry her again, which she accepts. Lauren finds some fresh towels in a cupboard to wrap Sonia's baby in. Sonia begins having contractions and Bianca confirms she can see the baby's head. Denise and Jack talk through their past over a bottle of wine. They agree to give their relationship another go and share a kiss.

Martin suggests he and Stacey leave Walford with their kids once they re-marry, to which they suggest several ideas of where they could go. Callum Highway (Clay) delivers news that one person is still trapped in The Vic, causing an argument between Jean and Ruby. Ruby states that Martin would be okay if he left Stacey to die, but Jean calls her out for her selfishness. Ian suggests all the survivors wait outside awaiting their rescue. The paramedics inform Stacey that Martin's condition is now life-threatening and advise her to prepare for the worst. Martin delivers a makeshift speech to Stacey to practice for their wedding. Sonia gives to her daughter, but she doesn’t cry on delivery, prompting Sonia to revive her. As the firefighters attempt to lift the beam, Martin falls unconscious and enters a cardiac arrest. The paramedics begin performing CPR on him. The survivors watch on as Sonia, Lauren and Bianca escape. Phil is admitted to a mental health hospital to treat his suicidal thoughts. Sonia delivers a monologue and names her daughter Julia. Martin dies with Stacey by his side.

The decision to reintroduce Kemp as Grant was met with a mixed response. Frances Ryan of The Guardian praised the decision, calling it "brilliant", writing that she found "something oddly comforting" about the show's trend of reintroducing past characters and that it reflected the broader resurgence of 90s nostalgia in popular culture.^[38] Pat Stacey of the Irish Independent disagreed, arguing that the decision to write the return was "desperation, not inspiration" opining that Grant's original introduction incited a continuing decline in quality for the soap.^[39] Stacey continued by expressing confusion towards the excitement of media outlets surrounding the character's return, arguing that the character's previous 2016 stint was relatively recent.^[39]