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EastEnders fans will have to wait longer than usual for their next dose of Walford drama, as Monday’s episode (16 June) will not be arriving on iPlayer at 6am.
The BBC One soap typically arrives on iPlayer early in the morning, and then airs on terrestrial TV in the evening. But in a break from the norm, the next episode will be simulcast on iPlayer, arriving on the platform at the same time as it airs on TV: 7.30pm.
This change in scheduling marks the arrival of Ben Wadey as the soap’s new executive producer.
In a statement, Wadey teased the start of a new chapter for the show, saying: “Next week marks the start of something big in Walford that we hope will get everyone talking, and it’s only just the beginning. We’ve got twists, shocks, and plenty of drama lined up for a summer you don’t want to miss.”
Wadey is a former commissioning executive at Channel 4, who previously worked as a story editor on EastEnders.
He takes over from Chris Clenshaw, who had been the soap’s boss since 2022.
Clenshaw’s final episodes saw Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie (Shane Richie) tie the knot for the third time, while George (Colin Salmon) and Elaine’s (Harriet Thorpe) marriage broke down.
The usual 6am releases have only historically been held back when there’s a plotline the show wants to keep under lock and key, such as the shock return of Cindy (Michelle Collins) in 2023 and the Christmas Day episodes.
Earlier this week, it was announced that series star Bobby Brazier is set to leave the long-running soap after four years on the show.
Brazier, the 22-year-old son of late reality TV star Jade Goody, has played Freddie Slater on EastEnders since 2022.
Brazier is expected to continue to appear on the series until his departure later in the year, with his final scenes not arriving “for a while”.
English (US) ·