After the massive Christmas 2023 storyline that was Sixmas and the introduction of some major new characters so far this year, EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw has remained tight-lipped about what's to come in the soap in the near future – but he did promise that there's some exciting news to come in the next few weeks.
Having bagged seven awards on the Soap Awards night in question, Clenshaw reflected on the wins and said it felt "surreal" and "an absolute honour".
"I'm literally thrilled, I'm so proud of the entire team. I'm really grateful to the viewers, I'm really grateful to everyone that voted," he beamed.
He continued: "It's been a heck of a year in soap, and I think that everyone's at the top of their game, so for us to kind of win this amongst everyone that's firing on all cylinders is a real achievement.
"We're really, really... I'm lost for words because I'm so proud of everyone."
Michelle Collins as Cindy Beale in EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
But what's on the cards for the near future in Albert Square? Well, while Clenshaw did remain a closed book on any details, he did tease that fans should anticipate some exciting news in the coming weeks.
When asked about the summer and autumn storylines, Clenshaw revealed: "I think tonight's just about celebrating the many awards that we've just won, which we're thrilled about. We've got a big summer, a big autumn.
"You know, we're heading into Christmas and we've got our 40th anniversary, so there'll be more news coming out in the coming weeks, but I'm going to stay tight-lipped for now."
The BBC soap will celebrate its major milestone anniversary in February 2025, and something tells us that the ground will be laid ahead of what is set to be quite the celebration.
As for now, there are plenty of character arcs and storylines to keep us going, with it most recently being announced that a fan-favourite character will be making a long-awaited comeback to the soap.
Of course, Sixmas also took home an accolade on the night in question after being voted Soap Moment of the Year by fans.
Reacting to the win, Clenshaw said: "I'm absolutely thrilled for The Six, the six women themselves, for everyone that's been involved in that storyline as well.
"It was quite a juggernaut, it was quite a feat to tease the audience 10 months in advance and to kind of be able to pull that off. So I'm just absolutely over the moon that they got their moment."
The RadioTimes.com Soap Awards 2024, sponsored by Inspired Villages, took place on 13th July. Find out more about the winners!
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
