EastEnders hide ‘secret tributes’ to to soap’s history during 35th anniversary special

21 February 2020, 09:34 | Updated: 21 February 2020, 09:38

How many of these EastEnders references did you notice during the 35th anniversary?

EastEnders has treated fans to an extra special week of episodes to celebrate the BBC show’s 35th anniversary.

But while the dramatic storyline has ended with one person plunging to their death in the Thames, some fans of the show have noticed a few subtle tributes to the iconic soap scattered throughout recent episodes.

So, here’s a list of the clever references to Walford’s history hidden in one of its biggest storylines yet.

1. The Queen Vic statue

With one person meeting their grisly end at the boat party, Max Branning decided to take the Queen Vic's iconic bust along.

But it’s seemingly a symbol of impending tragedy as it was in fact used to kill Archie Mitchell in 2009.

Read More: EastEnders fans devastated as June Brown, 93, quits after 35 years playing Dot Cotton

2. Hewitt's coach trips

You might have noticed that the coach company which drove the residents to the Smith-Holland boat was called "Hewitt's".

This was a sweet tribute to former character Mrs Hewitt (Elizabeth Power) who had an affair with Arthur Fowler back in 1993.

Read More: Danny Dyer reveals shock EastEnders death was hidden from cast and ‘the script was censored’ ahead of 35th anniversary

3. The 'Smith-Holland'

This week’s drama centred around the ‘Smith-Holland’ boat which sent one character plunging to their death.

But any avid fan will know that the boat was named after late soap writers Julia Smith and Tony Holland who actually created EastEnders back in the 80s.

4. Fassett Dock

The dock which the ambulance was called to during last night’s episode was called “Fassett Dock”, which is a reference to Fassett Square in London.

This is the area of Dalston which inspired the Albert Square set.

5. Captain Cox

While Captain Cox might have appeared cheery when he welcomed Walford’s residents onto the boat, there was a dark meaning behind his name.

Reg Cox was actually the name of a man found dead in the first-ever episode of EastEnders.