There have been some rocky years recently for EastEnders, no-one is going to deny that. Among the genuine quality over the Slater’s return episodes, Ruby Allen’s consent storyline, Sheanu, the Lauren and Abi Christmas disaster and much of the Weyland storyline (fight us, it was actually a really clever plot), there have been much weaker moments that have left fans feeling that it has gone off the boil.

But with returns like Sean Slater (who’d have thought Rob Kazinsky would ever come home?) and Ben Mitchell, new boss Kate Oates – known for her success at Coronation Street and Emmerdale – is already firing on all cylinders and creating a buzz around the show again. And her first episodes haven’t even aired yet.



We haven’t been this enthusiastic about EastEnders for some time – here’s why you should be optimistic too.

Sean Slater’s big return

It’s a return that has been pitched to Rob Kazinsky just about every year since he left and Kate has done what we thought couldn’t be done – tempted him back with one corker of a storyline. And it’s set to be seriously explosive.


Kate told Metro.co.uk: ‘I was really pleased that the Sean announcement has gone down as well as it has, actually, as I think it’s going to be really good. I’d always hoped I’d be able to convince Rob to come back but managed my expectations a bit as he has been asked pretty much every year. So I’m really excited about that.’

Ben and Lola arrive back

More familiar faces are coming back too as Ben Mitchell comes home, albeit played by new actor Max Bowden, and he is with Lola and their daughter Lexi. As they have joined forces in a sense, what trouble will they get into?

Kate told us about a big story for Ben and Phil, saying: ‘We know that Phil has been going back and forwards to Spain and he sends Keanu off there too. Phil has these dodgy dealings going on which is why he has been going over there, leaving Sharon to get into all kinds of trouble with Keanu. When Phil sends Keanu over, it’s the start of a story that shows Phil has actually made some enemies out there and things aren’t going so swimmingly.

‘The reason Ben comes back is because Kathy learns that Phil’s business interests aren’t going as well as he is making out and he is facing some serious money worries. Phil has been forced to resort to desperate measures to keep things afloat – can Ben help get his dad out of trouble?’

LGBTQ+ representation

One thing that has been lacking in a big way – particularly since characters like Paul Coker, Ben Mitchell and Johnny Carter were written out – is an adequate LGBTQ+ representation that makes it a more believable East End of London. Kate has confirmed that she will make this a priority with plans afoot for Ben’s return and also a gay bar. And this will just be the beginning as she sets out to ensure an increase in that representation on screen.



Speaking about a new romance for Ben, she teased: ‘What we bring back is a Ben who is a lot more confident and comfortable with his sexuality. We saw him get to a certain point where he embraced his sexuality but there were still times when he was uncomfortable with calling Paul his boyfriend and that kind of thing.

‘We might well see Ben with a love interest – I think it will be interesting to see how this new Ben following his recent growth away from Walford would cope in a relationship. However, it won’t be a case that he will be defined by the relationship by any means. Ben is a complex character with many connections to explore but yes, we might be seeing some romance before long.’

The Ahmed sisters

We already love Masood and his brilliant aunt and uncle Mariam and Arshad – who we most certainly don’t see nearly enough of. And the family will expand with the very exciting news that Iqra and Habiba, the granddaughters of Mariam and Arshad will make their debut soon.

Described as a whirlwind, we can’t help get a little early day Ronnie and Roxy vibe there – which is no bad thing – but we are also confident that they will be major characters in their own right and will be additions to really watch.

Chantelle joins the Taylors

Another solid character announcement is the long awaited Chantelle – over the last few years, the Taylor family have been one of the show’s biggest successes, with each member bringing something brilliant to the table and the whole unit working fantastically well in both dramatic and comedy contexts.


We will finally meet Karen’s daughter Chantelle and the announcement that she is Taylor through and through is music to our ears. EastEnders has been crying out for all of this sassy new blood and long may it continue.

Jean’s heartbreaking storyline

One of the most endearing and loved characters in the Square is coming right to the focus as Gillian Wright – who has proven time and time again that she is one of the queens of EastEnders – gets one of her toughest storylines to date. And there is no doubt that she will knock it out of the park.

As Jean is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the physical illness will also impact on her mental health and give the Slater clan as a whole a major storyline to show them all united as a family. Showing the strength among such adversity is so EastEnders and proves Kate has a real understanding of what the show is and what the fans want.

More Sheanu

There was every chance that this affair could have been raced to the finish line but Kate has chosen to run with it and add more layers and complications so that the final revelation is all that more explosive. Could we be set to witness Sharongate mark two?

The chemistry between Sharon and Keanu is palpable and the fact that Phil is on the backfoot and not in control of the situation is also welcome as his positioning as the biggest alpha male has put Sharon a little too much in the shadow in recent years.


Sheanu works and rightfully has a fanbase – we’re not saying Sharon is right to cheat by any means but we do really want to see her come out on top. Err, so to speak.

Doctor Legg’s devastating goodbye

Already Leonard Fenton is breaking our hearts as ailing Doctor Legg reaches his end. This storyline embraces old school EastEnders and shines the focus on iconic characters who have been staples of the Walford journey and evolution.

John Yorke’s vision to bring Doctor Legg back for a final and very special goodbye is one that the character deserves – and the inclusion of Mary the Punk and Lofty into the mix is inspired and a real nod to the fans who have stuck with the show long term.

Comedy

Kate has also been keen to point out that while EastEnders is a predominantly dramatic show but she doesn’t want to lose the fun out of it – and she told us about one such story that would see Mo Harris shack up with a very unexpected character. We know who it is and while we won’t ruin it for you, it has the makings of some genuine laugh out loud moments.

Kate said: ‘Mo will find herself in trouble with the family and basically it leads to her needing to find a housemate. This then becomes a very funny situation of The Odd Couple where a familiar resident is living with Mo while she’s sitting there clipping her toenails on the sofa.’

A new direction for Kat

Everyone loves Kat Moon and while we have long shipped the whole Kalfie thing, it’s refreshing to know that there are plans to take her in a new direction. When there are only so many routes left for Kat and Alfie, it can really drag Kat down and we need more of the feisty Kat of old, a character not reliant on whether Alfie is hiding secrets or not. Considering how much they lied and betrayed each other over the years, they need this time apart for Kat to grow as a character.

With more promised focus on Slater family stories as a whole, with Kat as a big part of her, we’re hopeful for Kat’s new lease of life.

Stuart’s past

He’s a loathsome character but after characters like Aidan Maguire and Ray Kelly who were brought in for singular stories and not fleshed out to be intimidating or complex, we needed an antagonist like Stuart Highway.

The easy option would be for Kate to write him out. But actually, what she is going with is digging deep into his psyche to create an even more complicated and nuanced villain which every soap needs. And we’re all for her expanding the roles of the cast she has got rather than dumping them when it gets tricky to write them out of a bad deed.

A real buzz

Soap fans can be ruthless when their show is under performing in their eyes – we always make it clear when we’re not happy and if that means making jokes about bins and Denise cooking pasta, then that’s what will happen.

Now though, there seems to be genuine excitement for an EastEnders announcement and the direction a show is going in. And Kate’s willingless to talk openly about her plans while keeping more than enough back is really amping up the thrill too.

No mass axings

We get there can be ‘deadwood’ but there is nothing more tiresome than having a big wave of axing announcements and then having to sit through weeks of exit stories and people going off in cabs to find themselves, putting the actual storyline potential on the backfoot while a deep cleanse is done.

Axing sprees rarely pay off so while some will have to go as storyline demands, Kate following her usual mantra of not going on a culling spree is a relief.

Kate’s passion for the show

This is a producer who knows the genre of soap and who has a clear love for EastEnders. When she speaks about her plans or about her thrill of getting a big name back, or her ambition to explore a character, it is done through genuine excitement of the programme.

And that can only translate to viewers in a positive way.

Oh and of course…

She loves Shirley Carter. Look, she told us. We also love Shirley Carter. All hail Shirley Carter.

As with any soap, the road won’t be smooth and there will be ups and downs so we are not trying to sell this upcoming era as a recipe for perfection and nor are we trying to say that the years gone by were not necessary in building groundwork and didn’t have their pivotal and successful moments.

But right now, the future is looking bright for EastEnders fans – and with so much still to be revealed, we can’t be the only ones excited for what’s coming up.

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