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Why is EastEnders not on tonight and when is it coming back on TV?

24 July 2020, 13:58 | Updated: 24 July 2020, 14:01

EastEnders has gone off air. Picture: BBC

When will EastEnders be back on TV? And has the soap finished for good? Here's what we know...

EastEnders has been on our TV screens for as long as we can remember, with the first episode airing all the way back in 1985.

Earlier this year, the BBC soap even marked its 35th anniversary with the dramatic boat crash which ended up killing Denny Watts.

But with the coronavirus pandemic forcing all TV production to stop immediately at the end of March, now EastEnders has been forced to come off air for the first time ever - with viewers speculating when it will be back.

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So, when is EastEnders back on? Here’s what you need to know…

When is EastEnders coming back on TV?

It’s thought production will get up and running again at the end of June, which means we won’t have to wait too long until EastEnders is next on.

Writing in The Telegraph, the BBC’s director of content Charlotte Moore said: “We’ve been looking carefully at how we can safely put some of our shows back into production, and I’m pleased to announce that we plan to begin filming again on both EastEnders and Top Gear by the end of June.”

Dayle Hudson teased the return of EastEnders. Picture: Instagram

Peter Beale actor Dayle Hudson recently shared a photo of his new script on Instagram, with eagle-eyed viewers noticing a date in the corner reading ‘8th September'.

This has led many fans to speculate that as the date EastEnders will be back on, but this has not been confirmed by bosses.

Why isn’t EastEnders on tonight?

New EastEnders episodes will be absent from our schedules for the foreseeable future, after the soap ran out of episodes filmed before the COVID-19 lockdown.

In true ‘Enders style, the show finished on a huge Duff Duff moment as Sharon (Letitia Dean) was revealed as the new owner of the Queen Vic.

Like a fool I totally forgot to say that last week and this weeks EastEnders are all directed by me. They’re the last before the show has a break over the summer, and Tuesdays duff duff will definitely leave you wanting more when the show returns later this year.
— Thomas Hescott (@MrThomasHescott) June 15, 2020

The soap’s director Thomas Hescott recently confirmed a break over summer, as he Tweeted: “They’re the last before the show has a break over the summer, and Tuesdays duff duff will definitely leave you wanting more when the show returns later this year.”

In place of the usual Albert Square drama, a new show hosted by Stacey Dooley will air on Mondays called ‘Secrets From The Square’, while legendary historic episodes will be shown on Tuesdays.

Now Read: Where is Zoe Slater from EastEnders now?