EastEnders cancelled tonight in latest BBC schedule shake-up as fans face four days without soap

THE BBC is diverging from its regular programme schedule tonight as EastEnders is pulled from screens. 

The latest shake-up means there will be no new episodes until Monday. 

EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm. However, this week there is no Thursday night episode. 

Instead, the BBC aired a double bill episode last night, which concluded the soap’s episodes for the week. 

Last night’s episode saw Jay Brown deal with the shocking aftermath of Nadine’s pregnancy revelation. 

Earlier in the week, sex worker Nadine (Jazzy Phoenix) reappeared in Jay’s (Jamie Borthwick) life again to tell him that she’s pregnant with his child. 

As EastEnders fans know, Jay was hiring Nadine because of her resemblance to his late wife Lola Pearce Brown (Danielle Harold).

But last night, after months away, she returned asking Jay to meet her at The Albert as she had news.

“I’m pregnant,” she said bluntly. “26 weeks. I checked the dates – and it’s yours.”

Shocked by the news, Jay simply got up and walked out horrified, but this is not the type of thing you can keep secret for long and last night, Jay realised he needed to open up to his family. 

Elsewhere in the episode, the Beales gathered to remember Lucy, and Elaine supported Yolande (Angela Wynter) who has been sexually assaulted by Pastor Clayton (Howard Saddler). 

Fans watched Yolande grow increasingly uncomfortable around Pastor Clayton after he touched her too intimately without her consent.

Although the pair were uneasy around each other, Yolande later believed she had made a mistake in calling him out after he manipulated her to think it was all in her head.

After gaining their friendship again, things appeared to be going well at the church, but he assaulted her once more. 

Pastor Clayton attacked Yolande in the kitchen of the Community Centre during last night’s episode. 

The episode also included flashback accounts of women who had previously been sexually assaulted by Pastor Clayton, revealing this was hardly his first offence.

With no new episode to follow up on these dramatic scenes tonight, viewers will have to wait four days to find out what happens next. 

The Beeb has teased that next week Yolande will struggle to move on from the assault and her relationship with Patrick (Rudolph Walker) will be strained.

EastEnders continues on Monday at 7:30pm. All episodes are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.