The Queen Vic will be open when EastEnders returns
"Hello, Phil. What can I get ya?"
When EastEnders last aired a new episode, it ended with an already-iconic moment that revealed Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) was the new owner of The Queen Vic, while a grinning Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) and a furious Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) looked on.
But given the social distancing measures in place, will the infamous London pub be open for business at all?
Well, Max Branning star Jake Wood has shared some positive news during an appearance on Good Morning Britain today, telling the hosts: "The Queen Vic is opening up, yes, and I think everyone in there will be socially distanced".
After the smug look Ian cast Phil's way when we last saw him, social distancing could not come sooner for the Walford original.
With Emmerdale returning properly to the screens yesterday and airing the first UK soap footage since lockdown, fans have been having fun trying to work out which scenes were filmed under social distancing conditions and which weren't, but Wood thinks that game may not be easy to play when it comes to EastEnders episodes. "Actually, we've seen some of the stuff they've shot and it's very clever. I think you're not going to notice as a viewer. There's other stuff they're doing as well that I've been told I can't talk about."
Wood also gave us an insight into what Walford will look like post lockdown and he confirmed that while lockdown will have taken place for the residents of Albert Square, the focus will not be on it considering it is impossible to know what the situation will be in the country, and indeed the world, at any given time. While the cast only went back to work yesterday (June 29th), Wood explained that the crew have been there much longer trying to get everything ready and safe for filming.
A return date for the BBC soap has not yet been announced but hopefully, given that new footage is being recorded, it will not be long before we find out how all the unresolved EastEnders stories continue. In the meantime, fans have been treated to behind the scenes series, Secrets From the Square on Monday evenings, while classic EastEnders episodes from the shows run in the regular Tuesday slot.
Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.
