EastEnders confirms no early BBC iPlayer release for key Christmas episodes

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EastEnders has confirmed that two major episodes won’t drop on BBC iPlayer this week.

EastEnders will be airing six episodes over Christmas, promising plenty of drama for the characters in Walford.

Beloved character Pat Evans, played by Pam St Clement, returned to the show today after an eight-year absence. In tomorrow’s episode, she’ll appear to offer advice to a sick Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), even though her character is no longer alive.

Pat won’t be the only familiar face – Barry, her step-son (played by Shaun Williamson), and Debbie, Nige’s ex-wife (Nicola Duffett), will both be appearing as well.

Now that we’ve seen glimpses of the past, the story shifts to the present, focusing on the Slater family and a difficult time for Zoe (Michelle Ryan) as she deals with emotional distress and the disappearance of her children.

She doesn’t know her daughter, Jasmine Fisher (played by Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), is even in town – or that she’s still alive. Something will happen on what should be a happy day, and the police will be called to investigate.

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Okay, so here’s the deal: don’t expect to sneak peek the Christmas specials on iPlayer before the big day. You’re going to have to survive the usual Christmas chaos – the forced smiles during gift opening, the endless sweets, and, let’s be real, the massive turkey dinner – before you get to see what happens. Basically, BBC isn’t giving us any early access this year!

Fortunately, the aftermath – which airs on Boxing Day – can be streamed at 6am the next day.

Nigel Bates’ (Paul Bradley) dementia storyline felt like a perfect tribute to the show and its viewers. He explained that the episode aimed to realistically portray the experience of caring for someone with dementia, particularly during the Christmas season.

This episode was incredibly successful thanks to the fantastic direction by Richard Lynn and the outstanding effort from the entire team.

As a long-time viewer, I’m really hooked on the storyline with Kat and Zoe. The writers just dropped a huge bomb last week – Jasmine is actually Zoe’s daughter! They revealed it right before Christmas, but apparently that’s just the beginning. It’s clear there are still a lot of secrets and surprises coming, so things aren’t what they appear to be at all.

Expect major storylines for the Beale and Branning families! Actor Jake Wood hints at exciting events, saying Max Branning will uncover long-held secrets as he reconnects with various characters. He suggests the show has carefully timed these reveals for maximum impact, encouraging viewers to keep watching to see what happens.

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Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, giving fans the latest news and spoilers from all their favorite shows – including Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he was a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years, and he’s even worked behind the scenes on the sets of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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2025-12-22 14:35