EastEnders confirms no early BBC iPlayer release for explosive New Year’s Day episode

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EastEnders’ New Year’s Day special won’t be available on BBC iPlayer before it airs on TV, the show has announced.

New episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer starting at 6am each day leading up to January 1st. However, episodes debuting on Thursdays will first be shown on BBC One at 7:30pm.

Following the dramatic events of the Christmas Day episodes, Max Branning (Jake Wood) is facing difficulties, and audiences can expect to see how the story unfolds.

This New Year’s Day, viewers will see a preview of events unfolding in 2026, focusing on Max Branning and a crisis that will deeply impact his entire family.

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Okay, so it looks like I can’t play this YouTube video right now. Apparently, I need to sign out of my Contentpass account first to get it working. A little annoying, but hopefully, that fixes it!

As a huge soap fan, I’m really excited about this upcoming episode! It’s not just about the big flash-forward reveal, though – lots of other drama is brewing for everyone in Albert Square. The producer, Ben Wadey, has promised it’s going to be unmissable, and honestly, I believe him! It sounds like a really packed and gripping hour of television.

Wadey has revealed the next episode will focus on Max’s wedding, where we’ll finally meet his new wife, and there will be a few unexpected twists along the way.

We decided the most compelling way to tell this story was to focus on whether he can maintain his success throughout the year.

Everything quickly spirals out of control after his wild night. He wakes up to find he’s gotten married and there’s a pregnant woman in bed next to him, leading to a lot of complications.

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Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah writes about entertainment for TopMob, covering everything from popular TV shows and reality competitions to important documentaries. Before joining TopMob, she worked at The Tab, where she focused on reality TV and celebrity news. Katelyn has a degree in Journalism.

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2025-12-29 15:04