BBC bosses have vowed to save EastEnders ‘at all costs’, MailOnline has been told today, as viewers drift away claiming the soap has gone woke and lacks the East End family ‘charm’ of its past.
There are fears for the show suffering its lowest ever viewing figures in recent years – as little as 1.3million – compared with 30million for its biggest episodes such as Christmas Day and 15million per episode after its launch.
EastEnders‘ future has reportedly been ignited as fans have switched off in their droves over ‘desperate’ plots and woke storylines. This includes apparent snipes at Brexit and a focus on climate change and veganism.
Others were also upset that popular characters such as Danny Dyer’s character Mick Carter had left the soap. There have been bizarre moments such as Cindy Beale returning from the dead.
But sources at the Beeb told MailOnline today that ‘it is going nowhere’ amid claims that the show’s future is ‘bleak’. The Beeb has recently spent £87million on a new set.
EastEnders has been accused of going woke, especially in storylines on climate change and veganism
There was upset when Brexit was likened to Covid by Sharon Watts on the show
The show has seen an alarming dip in viewing figures over recent years
One said: ‘EastEnders still remains an institution as far as the BBC is concerned and the feedback is that young people are loving it. They were particularly glued to the recent pregnancy storyline where 11 year old Lily Slater announced she was having a baby.
‘The figures are nowhere near what they were but as far as the bosses are concerned there is a huge appetite.’
BBC chiefs also point out that EastEnders won all of the publicly voted for categories at the recent British Soap Awards, which is ‘a big deal’ for them. Danielle Harold won leading performer. Best Villain was Aaron Thiara. Lily Slater won best young performer and then they won Best Soap.
Viewers have been put off by ludicrous recent plots such as soap legend Cindy Beale returning from the dead – which has been branded a ‘desperate move’ – while there are also claims that the stories have gone ‘woke’.
In recent years there has been story lines with a focus on climate change and veganism, with mentions of Greta Thunberg. Critics have pointed out that the majority of EastEnders’ viewers are over 50 – and the vast majority are over 65, according to research, and probably have other interests.
Last year there was some upset when Brexit was likened to the Covid pandemic by Sharon Watts in EastEnders programme.
She threw a drink in rival Sam Michell’s face and declared: ‘We’ve had Brexit and Covid, we don’t need you here’.
And in 2021 schoolgirl character Bailey Baker stood outside Walford East station and urged the residents to sign a petition for meat-free Mondays.
She said: ‘Global mass-produced industrial meat is killing the planet is literally killing the planet. One meat-free day a week is one step to saving the world. You need to start local, and think global. Small changes make a big difference.’
Her message was later tweeted by the official EastEnders’ account, which drew criticism from viewers including several claimed this wokeness was why they no longer watch.
Peter Dean, who played Pete Beale for 20 years, said EastEnders had gone too far from its roots – and had too many characters.
He said in 2020: ‘We started off with 15 characters, maybe one or two more, now you get people turn up and you don’t see them for about five weeks. Then they turn back up in it for a couple of weeks and then they disappear again.
‘Its charm was actual families, now it’s families but they’re all arguing, people just want to see the comedy of it and that, or the social comment of it, now everyone is having a row with this one or shouting at this one.’
He added: ‘The writers now, they just want to know about rapes and what goes on in the world and people arguing and fighting.’
Switching off? Fears for EastEnders’ future have been ignited as fans have switched off in their droves over ‘desperate’ plots and woke storylines in recent times, it’s been reported
Before and after: The old EastEnders set has finally been demolished more than a year after the BBC soap opera moved to its brand new £87million set
Peak: In the BBC soap’s heyday, it would draw in audiences of up to 30 million, with storylines such as Den and Angie Watts’ divorce dominating – however, these days it barely manages to draw in a million viewers
The decision to build an eye-watering £87million new set is also said to have come under scrutiny on the show, despite the programme recently winning big at the recent British Soap Awards, with four gongs in publicly voted categories.
And now, according to The Sun, it’s said to be a ‘worrying time’ for EastEnders, with bleak predictions that viewers may be watching the ‘final days’ of the BBC soap.
A source told the publication: ‘It’s a worrying time for EastEnders.
‘It used to be the show which everybody was talking about but it’s now in a precarious position where older viewers are switching off, and younger viewers have no interest.
‘Bringing back presumed dead characters is a desperate move which rarely works, but EastEnders is really running out of options. We could be watching its final years.’
Despite the concerns, an insider said: ‘EastEnders still remains an institution as far as the BBC is concerned and the feedback is that young people are loving it…
‘They were particularly glued to the recent pregnancy storyline where 11 year old Lily Slater announced she was having a baby. The figures are nowhere near what they were but as far as the bosses are concerned there is a huge appetite.’
A spokesperson for EastEnders told MailOnline: ‘EastEnders episodes are made live to the audience at 6am every morning on BBC iPlayer giving the audience the choice to watch when and where they choose…
Changes: Filming began on the brand new set, which is located just a stone’s throw from the old location at the BBC’s Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, back in January 2022
Uh oh: It is said that viewers have been put off by ludicrous recent plots such as soap legend Cindy Beale returning from the dead – which has been branded a ‘desperate move’
‘So when episodes are moved to a different day, or channel, due to a live sporting event it is no surprise that this is reflected in the regular overnight audience…
‘Over the last two weeks EastEnders has been streamed almost 18 million times on BBC iPlayer and remains one of iPlayer’s most popular programmes.’
EastEnders shocked last month as Cindy Beale came back from the dead, as Michelle Collins reprised her role after 25 years.
It emerged that she’d been in witness protection after her former cell mate wanted her dead – with Cindy also revealed to be George Knight’s long-lost wife ‘Rose’, who’s been hiding out in France with her ex Ian Beale.
However, despite the shocking twist, The Sun claims that Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw’s ‘desperate move’ of being her back failed to spark ‘the desired upturn’.
With actress Michelle herself saying she thought it was a ‘ridiculous idea’ upon first hearing the plot.
Under pressure: While the decision to build an eye-watering £87 million new set has also apparently come under scrutiny
Oh no: It’s said to be a ‘worrying time’ for EastEnders, with bleak predictions that viewers may be watching the ‘final days’ of the BBC soap
And figures show that the BBC drama is struggling to compete with ITV rivals Emmerdale and Coronation Street, who regularly draw in four millions fans.
The soap has also reportedly had big name former stars sharing criticism over storylines, with Mick Carter actor Danny Dyer previously stating of his character: ‘I didn’t quite know who I was playing any more.’
While he also referred to the falling ratings as he noted that he’d had several people ask him over the years if he was still in the soap as they no longer watched it.
Elsewhere, Heather Trott actress Cheryl Ferguson was said to have claimed that the show was no longer ‘relatable’ as it was too violent.
It comes as it’s been revealed that the soap’s writers have got some viciously dynamite fights planned between the Cindy and her former mother-in-law, Kathy Beale – played by Gillian Taylforth.
Drama: It comes as it’s been revealed that the soap’s writers have got some viciously dynamite fights planned between the Cindy and her former mother-in-law, Kathy Beale – played by Gillian Taylforth (pictured)
Tension: Executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: ‘It doesn’t take long and it’s still the same Cindy at the core, she’s just been on one hell of a journey since we last saw her’
They infamously despised one another after Cindy cheated on Kathy’s son Ian with David Wickes – and now EastEnders executive producer Chris Clenshaw has described the moment they come face to face once again 26 years after Cindy left as ‘absolute dynamite’.
Chris said: ‘Cindy’s a little softer through everything that has gone on, after 25 years of living a different identity and living a lie to her other family…
‘What comes quite apparent later in the year when she returns to Walford is it doesn’t take long before we see flashes of the old Cindy Beale and she still has it, there’s some absolute dynamite between Cindy and Kathy…
‘It doesn’t take long and it’s still the same Cindy at the core, she’s just been on one hell of a journey since we last saw her.’
