What’s been Walford’s most memorable festive outing?
Nothing quite screams the festive season like a good old EastEnders Christmas special – whether you watch the show month after month, or only dip into it in the last two weeks of December, we’ve all got a soft spot for the iconic BBC soap.
For many who will be tuning into the special episode this Christmas, they will be clued up on all the goings-on in Walford, from the individual storylines of the six women at the centre of the episode to the importance of the cufflinks and those wearing them.
When it comes to soapland at Christmas, anything can happen. From murders to affair reveals to arrests, it only ever has that extra oomph on Christmas Day. EastEnders is no stranger to an iconic festive storyline, whether it be Den Watts serving Angie divorce papers or Jamie Mitchell tragically dying in hospital.
So let’s reminisce on some of the most iconic EastEnders Christmas episodes, which often starts a debate about who takes the top spot.
After much discussion, RadioTimes.com has compiled a full ranking of every EastEnders Christmas special – and the number one spot may not be the storyline you think.
As we prepare for the epic The Six storyline to come to a head, read on for a full ranking of every EastEnders Christmas of all time.
EastEnders Christmas specials ranking
38. Gray Atkins and Chelsea Fox’s wedding (2021)
Perhaps the most anticlimactic of Christmas specials, Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) sought to stop Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) from marrying serial killer Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) – only to fail and no consequences to be felt for Gray for months. Meanwhile, Rocky Cotton’s (Brian Conley) long-con of Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) was exposed and weird paternity secrets were revealed – only for none of this to have any consequences in the weeks to come. Lewis Knight.
37. Alfie Moon’s nightmare Christmas (2018)
A dramatic Christmas special ruined Alife Moon’s (Shane Richie) character as he was exposed as the secret father of Hayley Slater’s (Katie Jarvis) baby, ending in his near death. Dramatic in the moment, but with unwelcome long-term consequences for golden couple Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie. Lewis Knight.
36. EastEnders’ first Christmas (1985)
The first-ever Christmas in Walford – a quiet one, but vital nonetheless. Lewis Knight.
35. Dirty Den Watts in jail (1988)
A unique Christmas episode – spent with “Dirty” Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) behind bars at Dickens Hill prison with memorable guest characters. Lewis Knight.
34. Cindy Beale gives birth (1989)
More notable for its long-lasting impact, newly-married Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) finally gave birth to her son Steven, but hiding a ticking time bomb – his father wasn’t her husband Ian (Adam Woodyatt) but his stepbrother Simon Wicks (Nick Berry). Lewis Knight.
33. Phil Mitchell gets his new liver (2016)
Now while in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t a wild storyline, you simply have to appreciate Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean) getting irate over son Dennis Rickman Jr (Bleu Landau) chucking a Brussels sprout at Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons), or her screaming in the Square that Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) has got a transplant whilst baubles hang from her reindeer headband. Cinema. Katelyn Mensah.
32. Mark Fowler comes home (1987)
A nice surprise for poor Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richards) – Mark (then David Scarboro) returned home for Christmas. Elsewhere, Den secretly paid a visit to his secret love child Vicki, who lived with her mother Michelle Holloway (Susan Tully). Elsewhere, struggling punk mum Mary Smith (Laura Davidson) spent time in the hospital but received a visit from family. A bevvy of iconic characters in the mix here. Lewis Knight.
31. Cindy Beale wants her children! (1997)
Surprise, surprise, Cindy Beale caused trouble for her husband Ian as she fought for access to her children. Meanwhile, Ted Hills (Brian Croucher) discovered that his ex-wife Irene (Roberta Taylor) had found a new love with Terry Raymond (Gavin Richards), while Kathy Mitchell (Gillian Taylforth) found a new spark with vicar Alex Healy (Richard Driscoll) in the run-up to her dramatic exit the following year. Lewis Knight.
30. Mandy Salter and Aidan Brosnan on the Roof (1993)
Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton) faced an even darker Christmas while living homeless with heartthrob boyfriend Aidan Brosnan (Sean Maguire). Events reached a climax as Aidan contemplated suicide from the roof of a tower block but was stopped by his beloved Mandy. Aidan survived, but sadly their toxic relationship did not. Merry Christmas! Lewis Knight.
29. Everyone round to the Fowlers’ house (1992)
A truly festive episode – aside from Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement) running over a pedestrian while over the limit. Mandy faced a cold Christmas without her absent mother but found a warm yuletide scene at a thoroughly crowded Fowler house. The ideal balance of grit and heart. Lewis Knight.
28. Ian Beale tries to kill Simon Wicks (1990)
A classic EastEnders story reached its climax as Ian Beale tried to kill step-brother Simon Wicks over the paternity of Cindy’s son Steven. Meanwhile, Phil and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) dealt with trouble from little sister Sam (then Danniella Westbrook) – some things never change! Lewis Knight.
27. Sharon Beale poisons Christmas (2020)
The COVID Christmas episode saw the extreme – but heavily meme-worthy – story of Sharon trying to murder best friend Ian over the death of her son Denny Rickman, just as we also learned that Phil was the one who attacked Ian weeks prior in a scheme with Sharon. Lewis Knight.
26. Sheanu exposed (2019)
EastEnders attempted a gritty Christmas season here as Phil Mitchell sought to take revenge on his pregnant wife Sharon and her illicit lover, Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). Meanwhile, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and Martin Fowler (now James Bye) each hit rock bottom and got entangled in a mystery surrounding Keanu’s fate… Lewis Knight.
25. Mick Carter’s exit (2022)
Anticipation was high for the exit of Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) in the first Christmas under executive producer Chris Clenshaw and it did not disappoint. Multiple shocking revelations, a Queen Vic showdown and a clifftop stunt saw Mick lost at sea in scenes of emotional devastation for Linda Carter. Thankfully, the door remains open for Mick to return one day… Lewis Knight.
24. Irene Raymond’s affair exposed (1999)
The Di Marco/Mitchell Christmas dinner goes down a treat, Terry learns about wife Irene’s adulterous affair, and Phil flogs the pub to Dan Sullivan (Craig Fairbrass) for £5! Lewis Knight.
23. Kat Slater and Alife Moon get married (2003)
Kat and Alfie only deal with happy Christmases, mostly. In 2003, after some comedic hijinks, the soulmates finally tied the knot and Alfie even delighted fans with a snow machine on the big day. Meanwhile, Phil Mitchell made an explosive return to Walford for revenge on the Watts clan and his estranged wife Kate (Jill Halfpenny). Lewis Knight.
22. Grant Mitchell cheats on wife Tiffany (1996)
Another tragic chapter in Grant and Tiffany Mitchell’s (Martine McCutcheon) toxic marriage occurred when the former cheated with new barmaid Lorraine Wicks (Jacqueline Leonard). Meanwhile, powerful scenes of forgiveness occurred between Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) – then suffering from breast cancer – and Mark Fowler (then Todd Carty), whom she previously dealt abuse due to his HIV+ status. Lewis Knight.
21. Frank Butcher returns to Walford (1995)
Frank Butcher’s (Mike Reid) return to Walford is one for the history books. A year after fleeing Walford due to getting himself into debt, Frank returned home to find Pat Butcher moving on with car dealer Roy Evans (Tony Caunter) and was furious
As Frank returned home, he was furious to find his wife had moved on and declared he wanted his house, business and children back, and things soon came to a head for Roy when Frank told him about his night of passion with Pat.
Classic EastEnders. Katelyn Mensah.
20. Stacey Slater flees Walford (2010)
After having stories dominating the soap for years, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) bowed out for the first time in dramatic style thanks to her nemesis Janine Malloy (Charlie Brooks). After being outed as Archie Mitchell’s killer and framed for stabbing Janine, Stacey contemplated suicide before escaping Walford for a life on the run in Mexico – until she made an explosive comeback in 2014. Lewis Knight.
19. Mitchell/Beale crash (2015)
2015 was a terrifying Christmas for the Beales and Mitchells alike after finding themselves involved in a car crash. After the families had a dramatic showdown over Christmas dinner, it seemed as though Bobby Beale (then Eliot Carrington) was going to strike again.
When Bobby returned home with blood-stained clothes and shoes, begging for Jane’s (Laurie Brett) help, Ian Beale and Phil Mitchell found a nearly unconscious Denny Rickman Jr at Walford Common. The families drove to the hospital but before they could get there, Phil crashed the car, with Denny thrown from the car as doctors tried to save his life.
Quite the dramatic episode, and for Bobby, things finally came to a head when Ian revealed to him that he had in fact killed Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater). Katelyn Mensah.
18. Sharon and Grant Mitchell’s marriage ends (1994)
It’s the aftermath of the iconic Sharongate reveal but the Mitchell clan were still licking their wounds. Sharon and Grant’s toxic marriage finally came to a close as the breathy blonde walked out on the Queen Vic after signing divorce papers. Lewis Knight.
17. Grant and Tiffany Mitchell’s marriage implodes (1998)
Another Mitchell marriage disaster. The toxic marriage of Grant and Tiffany Mitchell imploded in spectacular style as Tiff teamed up with Beppe di Marco (Michael Greco) to get Grant imprisoned for attempted murder, all while her best friend Bianca Butcher (Patsy Palmer) goes into labour with Grant by her side. Lewis Knight.
16. Derek Branning’s heart attack (2012)
Max Branning (Jake Wood) was looking for a happy ending with Tanya Cross (Jo Joyner). It was bound to end badly and thanks to evil brother Derek (Jamie Foreman) it does when Max’s secret third wife Kirsty (Kierston Wareing) rocks up on Max’s wedding day to Tanya. If that wasn’t enough, Derek suffered a fatal heart attack while his family looked on. Savage. Lewis Knight.
15. Phil Mitchell and Mel Healy’s lust (2000)
Phil Mitchell and Mel Healy’s (Tamzin Outhwaite) fiery chemistry came to a head – betraying poor Lisa Shaw (Lucy Benjamin). Meanwhile, Jamie Mitchell (Jack Ryder) finally learned who the secret father of Sonia Jackson’s baby was – their fellow tearaway teen Martin Fowler (then James Alexandrou)! Lewis Knight.
14. Kat and Alfie Moon’s happy ending? (2005)
Soaps rarely do fairytale endings well, but this year saw Kat Slater and Alfie Moon ride off into the snowy sunset together, while Sharon and Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman) heard they would be having a miracle baby. Happy tears all round – until each couple’s moments would be ruined in due course. Lewis Knight.
13. The Masoods’ Bnb explosion (2011)
The Masood family had another huge storyline here. As viewers witnessed in the lead-up, Zainab Masood’s (Nadia Wadia) husband, Yusef Khan (Ace Bhatti), had been abusing her amid his plan to take her to Pakistan, which was finally revealed on Christmas Day.
As his evil plan was playing out, Yusef attacked Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) and left him for dead. But things crumbled around Yusef, as when he set fire to the bed and breakfast, he had to go inside after being told his daughter was trapped – but this was false and Yusef died as the house exploded. Katelyn Mensah.
12. The death of Pauline Fowler (2006)
How do you say goodbye to a legend like Pauline Fowler? In a bitter last stand, the Fowler matriarch finally saw the light but all too late and took a tumble in the snow. Meanwhile, the Max and Stacey affair finally began… Lewis Knight.
11. The Branning sisters’ tragic fall (2017)
Another jaw-dropping Max Branning special from writer Simon Ashdown as the character’s latest web of lies collapsed and he lost daughters Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) and Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) – the latter, tragically, forever, in another Queen Vic death drop. Lewis Knight.
10. Janine Butcher exposed as Michael Moon’s killer (2013)
Janine Butcher getting arrested for killing Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) ranks 10th largely due to the sheer chaos that took place before the police managed to arrest her.
From having a stand-off with Joey Branning (David Witts) in the middle of the Square to getting in her car and driving away with baby Scarlett wailing in the background – if that wasn’t enough for the supervillain, she starts having a car chase with the police before crashing into a stall and STILL trying to run away.
I respect the devotion to trying to get away, but at least this meant Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks) could eventually go free. Justice! Katelyn Mensah.
9. Mark Fowler tells Pauline and Arthur about his HIV (1991)
This was a year that offered us the classic EastEnders juxtaposition of joy and sadness.
The now iconic pairing of Sharon Watts and Grant Mitchell had their quickly organised wedding – complete with Ross Kemp delivering his romantic rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone. Of course, this would turn out to be one toxic soap marriage – never forget Sharongate – but this was the original EastEnders Christmastime wedding and feels like a snapshot of the soap’s golden era.
Meanwhile, EastEnders delivered heartbreaking scenes in its groundbreaking HIV storyline with Mark Fowler as he finally told his loving parents Arthur (Bill Treacher) and Pauline Fowler that he was HIV positive. The sequence was both moving and highly educational, and one of the best examples of the power of soap. Lewis Knight.
8. Shannis affair exposed (2004)
The Watts revival era in EastEnders is an underrated classic era and few romances have delivered the heat that ‘Shannis’ did. Sharon Watts had met her true love in the form of her long-lost adoptive brother Dennis Rickman, however, their budding romance faced opposition in the form of their dad, “Dirty” Den Watts, back from the dead.
While Dennis had tried to move on in a relationship with Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), his heart still lay with Sharon. During the perfectly prepared Christmas dinner from Den’s second wife Chrissie (Tracy-Ann Oberman), Sharon and Dennis announced their plans to leave for America and affirmed their love for each other.
In response, Zoe was manipulated by Den into lying that she was pregnant. This lie caused Dennis to decide to stand by his unborn child with Zoe and the result saw Sharon decide to leave for America alone.
On top of this, Den’s younger daughter Vicki Fowler (then Scarlett Alice Johnson) overheard Den admit to Sharon that he loved Vicki less than her, resulting in her leaving with Sharon to America.
A true EastEnders Christmas: a family torn apart by secrets and lies. If that wasn’t enough, a screaming Chrissie truly caps it off. Lewis Knight.
7. Trevor’s reign of terror (2001)
This early Noughties festive episode saw Mark Fowler propose to Lisa Shaw, but she was hiding a big secret – her ex-lover Phil Mitchell is the real father of her baby, Louise. It was a messy Christmas for Phil – though when is it not? – with Sharon Watts leaving him to spend time with her mother in America.
But all that drama aside, there’s another reason this particularly grim Christmas special lingers in the memory – towering turns from Kacey Ainsworth as Little Mo Slater and Alex Ferns as her cruel husband Trevor. One of EastEnders’ most hateful villains, Trevor physically assaulted Mo when she, to his mind, spent too much time with her family on Christmas Day – in harrowing scenes, he shoved her face into her roast turkey dinner, then forced her to eat the remains off the floor.
Hardly festive fun, but a hugely impactful storyline anchored by powerful performances which built to a climactic New Year’s Eve episode which saw tortured Mo finally snap and lash out at Trevor… with an iron. Morgan Jeffery.
6. Sean Slater learns the truth about baby Amy’s paternity (2008)
Nothing says Christmas Day in Walford quite like a paternity test reveal. Well, nothing says a normal day in Walford quite like it either.
As the Mitchell family are all gathered around the dinner table in the Queen Vic, Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky) opens a letter revealing that he is not the biological father of Amy Slater. Of course, we are all well aware that Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) is the father, but we have to wait a little longer before that bombshell is revealed.
The funniest moment in this scene isn’t Roxy Mitchell ignoring everything and wanting to start eating, it is hands down Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) telling Sean that you can print off false paternity tests on the internet because Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) tricks him all the time with them. Always a comedian, our Billy.
One major thing to note is the sheer gumption of Roxy to cry in betrayed sister Ronnie Mitchell’s (Samantha Womack) arms, knowing that the father of Amy is sitting right next to her – and is Ronnie’s boyfriend! The audacity is shocking, but a classic Christmas episode nonetheless. Katelyn Mensah.
5. Jamie Mitchell tragically dies in hospital (2002)
It was a bleak Christmas indeed in Walford in 2002. Jamie Mitchell suffered a car accident when Martin Fowler ran him over outside the tube station, and sadly on Christmas Day, Sonia and Phil discovered he wouldn’t survive the accident. In heartbreaking scenes, the pair decided not to tell Jamie he was dying and wanted him to enjoy his final moments without worrying about death.
What followed were the likes of Jim, Billy and Robbie saying cryptic goodbyes to Jamie as the penny slowly dawned on him that he was dying. There were some truly beautiful scenes, with Steve McFadden especially excelling in the heartbreaking storyline when he said goodbye to the boy he considered a son of his own.
And then it came to the fateful time, where Jamie died with his beloved Sonia by his side. Two scenes were interspersed with each other as Jamie lamented the wedding he would never have with his love, while Billy married Little Mo in a gorgeous ceremony. It’s impossible not to cry as Billy and Little Mo leave the church to start their new lives together while Jamie loses his battle and dies. This is definitely one of the saddest episodes EastEnders has put out on Christmas Day, but one of the best in terms of storyline and performance. Helen Daly.
4. Dean Wicks is exposed for raping Linda Carter (2014)
Some of the best fights on EastEnders are the ones when a character really deserves it and for Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), I think we can all rally behind Mick’s response on Christmas Day.
After seeing Linda battling with the anxieties of seeing Dean on the Square each day, knowing what he did to her, it was a long time coming for him to finally get some comeuppance.
The revelation that Mick and Dean were brothers is a twist that not many people saw coming, whether it was because it just didn’t seem feasible or the fact that they were so different or that EastEnders managed to keep it a secret from the public.
As much as I wish this twist didn’t happen, it kept Dean alive to hopefully allow for him to pay for his crimes in prison one day. Katelyn Mensah.
3. Archie Mitchell is murdered – whodunnit? (2009)
There’s simply nothing finer than a Christmas whodunnit (as 2023’s EastEnders is happily proving) and one of the greatest came in 2009 when super villain Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) was killed in the Queen Vic. It had been coming for the wrong ‘un, following the attempted murder of Danielle (Lauren Crace) and rapes of Ronnie Mitchell and Stacey Slater – it was the latter which would come back to haunt him… Above and beyond though, the man was a rotter. He was truly disgusting to his daughter, Ronnie, abusing her when she was a teenager and causing her to lose a baby. If anyone deserved a nasty death, you know it was Archie.
And so on Christmas Day, EastEnders showcased a plethora of potential suspects who hated every single bone of his. Janine, his partner (believe it or not), was kicked out unceremoniously when he discovered she was going to fleece him (what a pairing, honestly). And we know she has history, so she was looking good for the killing. Noble Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) warned him from hurting Ronnie further – or else – and even Peggy (Barbara Windsor) had a pop at him. Bradley punched him for raping Stacey and Ian had his two pennies also.
Genuinely, it could’ve been anyone who saw off Archie, but none could’ve anticipated the way he would go – smashed over the head with the Queen Vic bust. Truly an iconic death for a monstrous villain. The reveal didn’t happen for a few months, when it was eventually revealed Stacey was behind the bust and ended him for the terrible sexual assault she suffered at his hands.
The more you think about Archie, the more satisfying his death was, and Christmas 2009 sticks out as a classically tense soap episode with a peppering of catharsis throughout and an excellent performance from Lamb. Storylines like this have paved the way for complex murder mysteries like The Six and Who Killed Lucy? so will forever go down as one of the great episodes of soap, not just a Christmas special. Helen Daly.
2. Den Watts serving Angie the divorce papers (1986)
It might not have quite topped our list, but there’s a reason so many consider this 1986 episode, only EastEnders’ second-ever Christmas special, to be one of its very finest.
The marriage of Queen Vic publicans Den and Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) had long been on the rocks, with multiple infidelities on both sides, but Den was left speechless in October of 1986 when his efforts to end the marriage for good were derailed by Angie’s revelation that she was terminally ill, with just six months to live.
It was a lie, of course, a desperate attempt to hold on to her husband – a fact Den discovered sometime later when he overheard a drunken Angie confess her terrible secret to a barman.
More than 30 million viewers tuned in on Christmas Day to see the fallout – still one of the most-watched broadcasts in UK TV history – with Den finally confronting his wife with his knowledge of her twisted plot and serving her with divorce papers to boot. It’s a magical TV moment, Den practically quivering with gleeful malice. “Happy Christmas, Ange!” Morgan Jeffery.
1. Max and Stacey Branning’s affair reveal
Quite possibly the best affair reveal in EastEnders history has to be Max and Stacey Branning. Whether it be because it was on Christmas Day, Max attempting (and failing) to gaslight his entire family or the absolute power move from Lauren (then Madeline Duggan) sneakily recording the entire thing, there is a lot of ground to cover.
I think the best part about the reveal was Max telling everyone it wasn’t real and looking intensely at Stacey to back him up, but soon enough the jig was up and Max was chucked out on Christmas Day. Deserved? Of course. Is he still my favourite character? Absolutely.
The sheer personality of Max is something to be reckoned with – all those years later he managed to have a father-son relationship with Bradley, find another wife and patch up relations with his daughters. Now that’s someone who ought not to be messed with. Katelyn Mensah.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
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