EastEnders LIVE: Voting lines open as fans say who Denise will choose in 40th Anniversary episode
EASTENDERS is celebrating it's 40 year anniversary with a special live episode tonight.
Fans of the long-running BBC soap will be tuning in at 7.30pm to BBC One to watch the drama unfold live on-air.
As a special treat for the anniversary, showrunners have left it up to the viewer to decide who Denise Fox should end up with.
Voting lines are open for fans to cast their choice between Jack and Ravi.
The celebration week started off with a bang when EastEnders' iconic boozer the Queen Vic was torn apart by an explosion.
Two soap legends were even brought back from beyond the grave to celebrate the soap's anniversary.
Follow our live blog below for the latest news and updates...
Who has been confirmed dead so far?
Just one character has bitten the dust as part of the soap's Anniversary Week.
Evil killer Reiss finally had his comeuppance when Walford's latest killer was crushed by a bathtub last night.
Reiss Colwell appeared to finally die after murdering his comatose wife Debbie, allowing pregnant Sonia Fowler to go to prison for it, and then kidnapping Bianca Jackson when she discovered the truth.
In last night's episode he accidentally crashed into the Queen Vic and caused a huge explosion and ultimately caused his own downfall.
Memorable EastEnders live moments - How's Adam?
Arguably the biggest, and most famous, live error in soap of all time came from seasoned actress Jo Joyner.
In the episode, Jo mistakenly referred to one of her co-stars by his real name as opposed to his on-screen moniker.
In reference to Adam Woodyatt's character Ian Beale, Jo got the names mixed up during a conversation with Laurie Brett's Jane Beale.
Meaning to ask how Ian was doing in the months following his daughter's death, she accidentally said: "How's Adam?"
Fans express concerns over Tracey
Viewers have speculated that barmaid Tracey may have died after a mysterious hand was shown on-screen during last night's episode.
Tracey is the BBC soap's longest-serving character, having first appeared on the show in February 1985.
One viewer wrote on X: "Wait did anyone see Tracey get out?"
A second weighed in: "Why is no one concerned about Tracey?!"
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.
Ricky Groves - Groves returned as Garry Hobbs, a character who has not been seen since 2009.
Cliff Parisi - Parisi returned as Minty Peterson, a character who was last seen on the square in 2010.
Ross Kemp - Kemp has returned to play 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 EastEnders 40th anniversary celebration include: A wedding between fan favorites, A huge explosion at the Queen Vic, and A live interactive episode.
Is Martin dead?
Fans are fearful that Martin Fowler was killed off after last night's incredibly dramatic episode.
The 40th special ended with Martin, played by James Bye, being trapped even further in the Queen Vic – and screaming in agony.
Those watching at home rushed to comment on it, with one person gasping: “No martin!!! He best not die .”
A second said: “PLEASE DONT KILL MARTIN OMG.”
When can you watch the EastEnders live episode?
Tonight's highly-anticipated live episode will air tonight at 7:30pm.
Every episode during this anniversary week will be available at 7:30pm on both BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
But just a heads up, there won’t be a 6am iPlayer release this time.
What you need to know about Denise Fox’s love life
Viewers will get to decide whether Denise (Diane Parish) reunites with her estranged husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) or chooses to be with her secret lover Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).
Last year, Denise and Jack’s marriage hit rock bottom when it came out that he’d been having an affair with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), which led to a dramatic brawl.
Since then, their relationship has been a rollercoaster, with moments of passion mixed in with heartwarming family memories.
Then came Christmas Day, when Denise complicated things even more by reigniting her romance with Ravi — a man with a chequered past.
To make things messier, Ravi was previously in a serious relationship with Denise’s daughter, Chelsea (played by Tiana Benjamin), who has been delivering stand-out performances on the show.
It’s a tough call, but ultimately, the decision is in the hands of the fans.
EastEnders first aired on 19 February 1985, and has gone on to become a mainstay of British television.
How to vote for EastEnders Denise Fox live episode storyline
After the special hour-long episode on Wednesday, EastEnders fans will get to do something totally new in the show’s history — cast their vote on Denise Fox’s love life.
To take part, you’ll need a BBC account, so if you haven’t signed up yet, you can do that at bbc.co.uk/account before February 19.
The vote opens at 8:30 pm on Wednesday, February 19, at bbc.co.uk/eastenders and closes at 7:10 pm on Thursday, February 20. That way, the result can be worked into the live episode airing at 7:30pm from the BBC Elstree Centre that evening.
The broadcaster adds: “Once all votes have been cast, the vote will be independently verified and handed to the EastEnders executive producer, Chris Clenshaw, just before the live show.
“In that short amount of time, the cast and crew will disregard the losing script, and quickly prepare to depict the drama on screen that reflects the decision chosen by the viewers.
“As well as playing matchmaker for Denise, viewers will also have an extra treat when they cast their vote as they will be given the opportunity to make another decision which will go down in Walford’s history.”
