EastEnders: Secrets from the Square guide | From schedule to line-up as Stacey Dooley hosts
EastEnders interrupts its usual schedule for a special series.
Sadly, we don't have any more EastEnders instalments until September, following the lockdown and production shutdown that resulted from the pandemic.
But we're that still getting our fix of Walford action while we wait. Backstage spin-off EastEnders: Secrets From the Square, along with classic episodes, continues to play on Mondays and Tuesdays in lieu of new episodes from the soap.
Here's your handy guide to the soap special with brand new, up-to-date info on future instalments.
When is EastEnders: Secrets From the Square on?
Ever since EastEnders dropped down from its regular four-episodes a week, it has only aired on a Monday and Tuesday. There is no change here as they remain the days to the tune in for the replacements.
Secrets from the Square airs on Monday at 8pm, while Tuesdays at 7.30pm is the home for some trips down memory lane with visits to classic episodes from the show's 35-year run.
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What Secrets from the Square about?
Secrets From the Square is a behind-the-scenes show in which Stacey Dooley interviews different cast members about their time on the show, as well as looking ahead with some teases of what is to come. The first episode featured Kellie Bright and Danny Dyer (aka Linda and Mick Carter). Dooley also takes the actors, and fans, on a tour around several iconic locations where iconic moments have occurred, including The Queen Vic.
Who is the host of Secrets from the Square?
Journalist and documentary maker, as well as Strictly Come Dancing winner, Stacey Dooley is our guide as she talks to cast and teases the future of the show from Ian's Walford East restaurant set.
Dooley said of her new job: “I’m delighted to be hosting Secrets From the Square. I grew up watching EastEnders, so walking on to Albert Square was a surreal experience as well as taking a trip down memory lane and interviewing some of the legends of Walford has been great, I’ve loved every minute of it!”
EastEnders: Secrets from the Square line-up
Throughout the course of the series, the presenter will take a table in Ian Beale's restaurant with two different members of the EastEnders cast. The guest line-up is as follows:
- Week one: Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright
- Week two: Letitia Dean and Adam Woodyatt
- Week three: James Bye and Davood Ghadami
- Week four: Max Bowden and Tony Clay
- Week five: Diane Parish and Tameka Empson
- Week six: Adam Woodyatt and Gillian Taylforth
- Week seven: Jake Wood and Scott Maslen
- Week eight: Zack Morris, Lorraine Stanley and Maisie Smith
- Week nine: Letitia Dean and Kellie Bright (Queen Vic landladies special)
EastEnders have confirmed the following, but their air dates haven't been announced yet:
- Shona McGarty and Natalie Cassidy
- Linda Henry and Luisa Bradshaw-White
- Lorraine Stanley, Jessica Plummer and Toby-Alexander Smith
- Lacey Turner and Jessie Wallace
What classic EastEnders episodes will air?
These are among the episodes already aired and still to come:
- Den and Angie's two-hander that originally aired on 16th October 1986 is the first to be shown. The dramatic episode is best remembered for Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) feigning a terminal illness to keep Den (Leslie Grantham) from leaving her.
- You can't show classic episodes of Eastenders without including Sharongate. The tense episode was originally broadcast on 24th October 1994 and was the culmination of a long-running affair storyline between Sharon (Letitia Dean) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).
- Max and Stacey's affair reveal was a classic Christmas episode of EastEnders, full of all the festive misery and heartache we have come to expect from the show. The shocking reveal that Max Branning (Jake Wood) was sleeping with his son's wife, Stacey (Lacey Turner) set tongues wagging when the episode first aired on December 25th 2007. It will be shown again on Tuesday 4th August.
- Mick discovers Shirley is his mother from Christmas 2014.
- Peggy exposes Frank and Pat's affair from November 2000.
When will EastEnders be back?
At present, we don't know when EastEnders will be back, both the soap and the BBC are remaining tight-lipped about when the show will pick back up with fresh episodes again. They will likely want to wait for filming to resume so they can gauge how well it is going before committing to a date.
We do know that when EastEnders does return, it will be back to four episodes a week, but those episodes will be shorter.
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.
