EastEnders' Michelle Ryan hints Slaters’ Christmas Day feast is derailed at The Vic
"Walford residents learn the consequences of their actions as they are visited by ghosts of their past, villains of the present, and visions of the future."
This year's EastEnders Christmas special looks set to honour the soap's long-standing tradition of everything going spectacularly wrong in Walford, as teased in the BBC's official trailer.
Zoe Slater is looking forward to her first family Christmas "in forever", but the reveal of her mystery stalker – who has been terrorising her since her return to the Square in June – threatens to plunge the day into chaos. That's according to Michelle Ryan, who dropped a telling hint during an official Q&A with co-star Jessie Wallace.
"This year, there is no Christmas meal for the Slaters," she teased, while discussing whether the cast actually eat the festive food during those scenes. "That just didn't happen."
The Slaters are due to host a community dinner at The Vic – but it sounds like the pigs in blankets will have to wait.
"Walford residents learn the consequences of their actions as they are visited by ghosts of their past, villains of the present, and visions of the future," reads the synopsis.
"Kat remains fiercely protective of Zoe, who remains determined to reunite with her long-lost son, but with a mystery tormentor hellbent on driving Zoe out of the Square, the search for answers unlocks shocking secrets that puts Kat’s motherly love to the test."
And that’s not the only drama on the way...
Want to see this content?
We're not able to show you this content from YouTube. Please sign out of Contentpass to view this content.
Another imminent storyline guaranteed to shake things up is Max Branning's explosive meeting with Cindy Beale. The pair have never met, but Cindy knows Max was responsible for her son Steven Beale's death while she was in witness protection.
Max is also set to be the main focus of the format-breaking New Year's Day episode, which will jump a whole year into the future – to 2027 – with catastrophic consequences for him and his family. A preview image even shows Max in a suit with a blood-stained buttonhole.
Read more:
- EastEnders 2025 Christmas schedule confirmed by BBC - including festive episode timings
- EastEnders airs tragic exit scenes for Mitchell family member in early BBC iPlayer release
- EastEnders airs desperate Sam Mitchell scenes as she takes advantage of Nigel Bates in BBC iPlayer release
- EastEnders Christmas and New Year spoilers: Your day-by-day guide as Slater and Branning secrets implode
- EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
Executive producer Ben Wadey has confirmed the episode is designed to raise more questions than answers, teasing that while Max and his family appear to be in serious trouble, "all is not what it seems".
Either way, viewers will have to stick with it through 2026 to find out that strand plays out.
Want to see this content?
We're not able to show you this content from Google reCAPTCHA. Please sign out of Contentpass to view this content.
Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app– download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
