As the build up to EastEnders’ 40th anniversary continues, fans are continuing to speculate storylines – including one that features an unexpected and truly devastating twist.
At the start of this month, the BBC One soap confirmed they will be going live in February, for their anniversary.
The event-television instalments became somewhat of a novelty surrounding soap milestones, when Coronation Street set the trend during their own 40th back in the 2000. Ten years later, we saw EastEnders celebrate 25 years, with it being revealed that Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) had killed Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) during their first live spectacular.
Now, cast and crew are gearing up to do it all over again in 2025, but this time there’s an intriguing twist – and it involves you, dear reader.
In a soap first, the power of deciding the outcome of one storyline will be bestowed onto the audience.
Details are fairly scarce at the moment, but we do know that the interactive element will involve your opinion on the desired outcome of a love story – but who?
The outcome will play out during the live episode as those on and off-screen adapt to the result of the public vote.
While this storyline seems to be a strong focus of the anniversary, fans of the soap cannot help but wonder if a character will be killed off too.
Because what’s an anniversary without something as dramatic as that?
Sadly though, top of the list for many audience members is Martin Fowler (James Bye)
We know.
Taking to X, one eagle-eyed user has spotted a staggering amount of parallels between Martin and Stacey’s beloved ex partner Bradley Branning.
Sharing a video clip of the two characters, they also wrote:’#MARTINFOWLER & #BRADLEYBRANNING they are the same person in different fonts. so absolutely no way will they be making martin d word on the 15th anniversary of bradley. they wouldn’t do that to Stacey.’
Also highlighting another theory, this fan said: ‘wondering if they’ve made such a thing of people thinking it’s martin’s 40th so that they could put the banners and balloons up to tell us that the lead up to the show’s 40th starts now 🫢’
Martin’s death next year was also theorised on forum platform Reddit.
Fearing for the character’s future, this person said: ‘Martin dying at the end of the 40th anniversary episode 40 years after Pauline found out she was pregnant with him would be very apt. But I don’t know that EE has the balls to kill the original legacy baby. Hopefully not.’
Teasing the upcoming events, executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: ‘The 40th anniversary is a milestone event for EastEnders, and we have been planning this week for a long time to ensure that it’s a week full of drama and surprises.’
‘This time, as well as going live, we are adding an extra twist and for the very first time in the history of the show and as a gift to the viewers, we are giving the audience the power to have their say in choosing the outcome of one of our storylines.
‘Whilst we’re still keeping the finite details of the 40th close to our chest, I can promise that it will be an unmissable week full of shocking twists that will change Albert Square, and the lives of those who live in it, forever.’
