Jaime Winstone on how "explosive" EastEnders flashback impacts Phil

Next month, the BBC soap will air a special episode which takes viewers back to 1979. For the first time, we'll see Phil's father Eric Mitchell (played by George Russo). Eric and Peggy's marriage is struggling, and a young Phil (Daniel Delaney) and Grant (Teddy Jay) are coming of age.

Secrets will be unearthed with the purpose of helping Phil in the present day to bring down DCI Keeble (Alison Newman), who seems to have a mystery motive as she drags Phil deeper into his police informant role.

Speaking about what fans can expect from EastEnders' trip back in time, Winstone said: "Essentially, it's about a family who are being held together, and the cracks are starting to show. The boys are becoming men before Peggy's eyes."

She added that it's a very eventful instalment which is designed to explore who the Mitchells became; particularly Phil and matriarch Peggy.

"It's a turbulent episode; there's a lot of stuff that goes down. There's highs and lows... There are soft moments but it's really to set up why the characters are like they are now, and why some families are broken and certain choices that were made that really shouldn't have been."

Winstone continued: "Ultimately, it's about Phil and who he is today, and why and what goes down. It's this sort of moment that Peggy Mitchell becomes the Peggy Mitchell we know."

The star also explained that we will see a more vulnerable Peggy as she feels the strain of ongoing life. "We do see a softer Peggy, [a] more vulnerable and slightly more tender Peggy. She's definitely trying to be the housewife; a good wife and a good mother all in one, and keeping things together.

"And as you'll see in the episode, the cracks start to show with the young Phil and Grant kind of shifting from boys to becoming men. There's a lot of fear and a lot of love that becomes quite explosive."

EastEnders will air the flashback episode on Monday 5th September at 7:30pm.

Read more:

• When is the EastEnders flashback episode starring Jaime Winstone?
• EastEnders reveals first look at Mitchell family flashback

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