EastEnders confirms no early BBC iPlayer release on Christmas Day

The Christmas episode - which will finally reveal the killer and the victim in a murder teased back in a flash-forward back in February 2023 - will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9.45pm on Christmas Day 2023.

However, the BBC has also confirmed that the aftermath episode due on Boxing Day will be released early on BBC iPlayer at 6am.

This means that fans will have only a matter of hours between the murderous events and what comes next.

Fans are aware that a group of Walford matriarchs now dubbed 'The Six' - Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Denise Fox (Diane Parish), and Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth - will be left standing over the dead body of a man by the end of the Christmas Day instalment.

Much of the action is set to revolve around the wedding of Sharon to partner Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), but both are hiding immense secrets. Keanu was secretly involved in a staged kidnapping of Sharon's son Albie, while he is also unaware that Sharon's ex-husband Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) is Albie's real biological father. Will 'Sheanu' get a happy ending?

Elsewhere, Linda is reeling following her relapse into alcoholism after the return of rapist Dean Wicks (portrayed by actor Matt Di Angelo), Denise Fox (Diane Parish) deals with her crumbling marriage to Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), and Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) nurses a broken heart after discovering Tom "Rocky" Cotton (Brian Conley) burned down her cafe as part of an insurance scam and almost killed her grandchildren.

• EastEnders rescheduled this week amid pre-Christmas 2023 shake-up

Finally, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) are entangled in the danger posed by Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) after what recently happened to Eve Unwin (Heather Peace).

We will have to wait and see which man involved in proceedings winds up dead...

Read more:

• Who do you think dies and kills in the EastEnders Christmas special?
• EastEnders spoilers: Whitney Dean heartache in tragic fostering story
• EastEnders must give tragic heroine Whitney the happy ever after she deserves
• EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw previews Christmas 2023 and The Six aftermath
• EastEnders' Letitia Dean on whether Sharon can forgive Keanu for kidnap secret
• EastEnders' Gillian Taylforth on Kathy and Rocky: "She can’t live with the constant lies"
• EastEnders' Diane Parish teases "heartbreak" in Christmas episode
• EastEnders' Lacey Turner on whether Stacey will kill again: "She will do whatever it takes to protect Eve"
• EastEnders' Balvinder Sopal: "People will be on the edge of their seats"
• EastEnders' Kellie Bright: "The body wasn't who I thought it would be"

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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 and Streaming Guide.

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