EastEnders fans treated to THREE special episodes in one week ahead of 40th anniversary and live episode
EASTENDERS fans will be treated to THREE special episodes in one week ahead of the highly-anticipated 40th anniversary celebrations.
The long-running BBC serial drama will commemorate a whopping four decades on the airwaves with a live episode later this month.
But before the momentous television event, long-time viewers will be presented with a number of special themed episodes.
Ross Kemp will soon return to Albert Square as he reprises his fan-favourite role of Grant Mitchell.
Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) will enlist the help of his old pal as Phil's (Steve McFadden) depression spirals out of control.
But the actor also hosts the gameshow, Bridge of Lies on the BBC.
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He will take to the airwaves with a special EastEnders edition of the format on Saturday, February 15 at 7:50pm on BBC One.
Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) and Michelle Collins - who plays his ex-wife, Cindy Beale - will be the contestants on the special show.
Micah Balfour (who plays Junior Knight) and Molly Rainford (Gina Knight) will also join in on the team.
On the following Monday, the actor and presenter will once again take to screens for a special, EastEnders: 40 Years on The Square.
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At 8pm on BBC One, he is set to meet iconic cast members as they explore some of the groundbreaking issues that have been depicted on-screen.
Together, they will look at some of the defining moments in the shows history.
The following day, EastEnders Revealed: The Lock-in will be screened at 8pm on BBC Three.
Joe Swash, 43, will be joined by a roster of current cast members for a special celebratory lock-in on the set of the Queen Vic.
The actor is known to fans as Mickey Miller, and his appearance will come 17 years after his character left Albert Square.
Joe, who originally joined the soap in 2003, was loved by fans for Mickey's goofy personality.
EastEnders' 40th anniversary cameos so far
With the 40th anniversary of EastEnders coming up, fans are looking forward to some more incredible cameos from iconic faces of Walford's past. But who have we had so far?
Tracy-Ann Oberman - Oberman returned as Chrissie Watts, a character she last played nearly two decades ago.
Paul Bradley - Bradley returned as Nigel Bates, a character he last played over 25 years ago.
Micheal French - French returned as David Wicks, a character he last played two decades ago.
Patsy Palmer - Palmer returned as Bianca Jackson, a character she last played in 2019.
Coming up this year...
Ross Kemp - Kemp will reprise his role as Grant Mitchell, a character he first played in 1990. The BBC has described Kemp's storyline as "explosive". Kemp said it was an "absolute honour" to return to the show.
Other aspects of the 40th anniversary celebration include: A wedding between fan favorites, A huge explosion at the Queen Vic, and A live interactive episode.
In 2008, producers made a move that left viewers stunned when they wrote him out of the show.
Now, he will once again return to the infamous pub along with the likes of Natalie Cassidy and Patsy Palmer.
They will be joined by other veteran co-stars including Gillian Taylforth and Scott Maslen who will all reflect on the decades they have spent at the set.
The likes of Harriet Thorpe, Colin Salmon, Tameka Epson, and Diane Parish are set to join in the fun.
This also comes as former cast former cast members Danielle Harold (Lola Pearce) and Max Bowden (Ben Mitchell) reunite.
They will head to the Cotswolds in a special episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip on February 14.
These are all ahead of the special milestone event when the soap will go live for the third time.
The episode will kick off at 7:30pm on February 20 after viewers have made their decision in the special interactive vote.
Following an hour-long episode aired on February 19 - the anniversary of the show's first episode - a vote will open.
Fans will get to choose Denise's final decision on which suitor she takes, which will be either Ravi Gulati or Jack Branning.
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They will also get make a second decision on another mystery storyline in the vote, which will end just 20 minutes prior to the show.
EastEnders continues on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.