BBC EastEnders viewers annoyed as soap is pulled from schedule in TV shake-up

EastEnders' legend Diane Parish is best known for her role as Denise Fox, but actually had a challenging part on the soap before her debut as Denise. The actress first appeared as Denise in 2006 and has since become a fan favourite with numerous dramatic storylines. Before Denise, Diane played another character on EastEnders, Lola Christie, in 1998, who was introduced as the girlfriend of Walford resident Mick McFarlane, played by Sylvester Williams.

Coronation Street fans have been left fuming with rage this week as the soap sadly found itself at the mercy of yet another schedule shakeup in recent weeks to accommodate the football season. The popular ITV soap was pulled from its usual 8pm slot on Friday 26 January to make way for live FA Cup coverage of Tottenham Hotspur taking on Manchester City, this meant that the show aired its three hour-long episodes for the week across Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday instead.The schedule shake-up was confirmed at the start of the week by soap bosses, who shared a message on social media saying: “Here to let you know about a slight schedule change this week.

Actress Maisie Smith has teased a potential return to Eastenders years after her character was last seen in Albert Square.

Comedian Bobby Davro has had a minor stroke after fainting at a comedy show.The former EastEnders star had just finished his performance and received a standing ovation from the audience at his sold-out gig. Bobby, 65, had a 'funny turn' at the Coulsdon Comedy Club in South London last Thursday night.This happened after he had to cancel shows because he fell ill during a performance. The much loved star had been having a tough time lately, after his late fiancee Vicky Wright passed away in May last year.

Lorraine Stanley is set to reprise her EastEnders role, with Karen Taylor returning to Albert Square following her son's disappearance. Karen had recently left Albert Square and moved to sunny Spain after she took the blame for kidnapping Albie, with residents of Walford later discovering that it was actually her son Keanu who was responsible for this.

Shona McGarty has been filming her final scenes as Whitney Dean, ahead of exit from EastEnders after nearly two decads in the much-loved role. The actress, 32, has played Whitney since her first appearance in Albert Square back in 2008, and has had a number of dramatic storylines including childhood sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and pregnancy loss. Her most recent storylines saw Whitney discover she was pregnant just months after losing her baby daughter Peach after giving birth to her 18 weeks into the pregnancy following a diagnosis of Edwards' syndrome.

Fans of BBC soap EastEnders are preparing to say goodbye to a legend. Actress Tameka Empson, who brings Kim Fox to life on screen, is temporarily exiting Albert Square as she embarks on an exciting new adventure. On Monday's edition of The One Show, 22 January, Tameka shared the news of her departure, assuring fans: "Kim's gonna be okay! She's gonna be ok - she's going on a nice cruise with Howie and the children.

James Alexandrou, who played the original Martin Fowler, has revealed he will soon be stepping foot back in Walford 17 years on from his exit as the 38-year-old takes on a new role on EastEnders.

EastEnders viewers were treated to some super tense moments in Thursday night's episode as Sam Mitchell left Albert Square after causing carnage at the Queen Vic After learning that she had been left a staggering £100,000 in her Aunt Sal's will - along with Phil and Grant's share - she confronted brother Phil to demand her share of the money. Unimpressed when he refused to hand it over, she decided to resort to blackmail after discovering that Phil had cheated on his wife Kat - something she learned from Alfie Moon.

EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy has revealed she is feeling 'very ill' and has had to take time off from filming on the BBC One soap, throwing filming into chaos. She shared on Instagram: "Poorly.The only time I will ever get to watch the South Bank Show Originals.

Hot on the heels of this year’s explosive Christmas whodunnit storyline, EastEnders fans have high hopes for the soap’s 40th anniversary next year after several eagled eyed fans claim to have spotted proof that two characters will be returning from the dead. According to fans, Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell could be making a come back, despite having being killed off on screen! Of course, death has never been a barrier to other characters from returning, with Dirty Den Watts, Kathy Beale and Cindy Beale all having returned to the soap after previously being killed on the soap.

EastEnders fans have been left cringing over Penny Branning's (Kitty Castledine) nickname for her dad Jack (Scott Maslen). Following her dramatic return to Albert Square, Penny has been referring to her dad as "Big Man Jack", something that fans have complained has left them feeling rather grossed out.Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one viewer complained: "'Big man Jack' is not cute. It’s a really weird name to give your own dad.

EastEnders fans reckon they've figured out when Keanu Taylor's body will be found after his shock murder - and it could over a year away. Soap bosses have been keeping quiet about when Keanu's death will be revealed, with many on the square believing he has gone on the run following an altercation with Nish Panesar.

EastEnders actor Matt Di Angelo has celebrated a huge anniversary on the soap, after first appearing in Albert Square in his iconic role of Dean Wicks 18 years ago. On January 2, a fan account on Twitter marked the milestone anniversary with a tribute post featuring a collage of snaps from Matt's first episode. In the caption, they said: "18 years ago today (2nd January 2006), @matt_diangelo made his first ever appearance on @bbceastenders #EastEnders." The 36 year old actor first graced our screens in 2006 as Pat Butcher's great-nephew, causing all sorts of trouble from spiking Stacey Slater's drinks to framing Sean Slater for a crime he didn't commit and even assaulting Linda Carter.

EastEnders legend Max Bowden has been given a stern warning amid claims he was 'axed' from the show, despite fan upset about his shock exit. Last week it was revealed that the actor, who has played character Ben Mitchell in the soap for five years, will be waving goodbye to Albert Square as the BBC confirmed his departure.

Linda Carter is set for more drama in EastEnders following the return of Lauren Branning, who will soon uncover the truth about baby Annie's paternity. Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) made her highly anticipated return to EastEnders on New Year's Day, but didn't quite make it to Albert Square after being arrested in the airport. However, she will soon be released after cousin Penny Branning's (Kitty Castledine) confession.

Since first arriving on our screens last Summer, it’s safe to say that George Knight hasn’t had the easiest time in EastEnders after finding out his wife, Rose Knight, was actually Cindy Beale all along. Yet while he appeared to have been able to take the revelation in his stride, one truth that may break the famed boxer completely is the news that his adoptive parents had been paid to take him in.

EastEnders' Penny Branning made a dramatic comeback to the BBC soap this week, but who is she and what's her story? Penny is Jack Branning's daughter and has been off-screen since 2008. She uses a wheelchair as she is paralysed from the waist down, a fact revealed during her first stint on the show. Not everyone knew about Penny, even though she adored her dad.

EastEnders star Max Bowden, who plays Ben Mitchell, has had quite the love life off-screen with links to a co-star and Love Island contestant. Max, 28, has played the role of Ben on EastEnders since 2019 but will soon be waving goodbye to Albert Square as BBC confirmed his departure. His final scenes are thought to air in the coming weeks with his departure this year reportedly leaving the show's bosses unsure whether to keep the character of Ben Mitchell in the soap at all.

Rita Simons has sparked concern among her fans, after sharing that she has not been eating or sleep properly over the last few weeks. The former EastEnders star, 46, took to Instagram on New Year's Day, where she shared a video clip of a vitamin IV drip being administered into her arm.