It's nearly time for the annual festive turmoil in Albert Square, with enthusiasts typically settling down on Day to relish the show's scandalous events. Yet, fans have been left seething over a tweak in this year's schedule that pushes the airing of the Christmas episode from its familiar 9pm slot to 10pm.

"I want my EastEnders at 8pm then I can go to BED," one irked viewer exclaimed on X, previously known as , as fans branded the decision 'diabolical'. However, one unconcerned fan said: "I go round my friends' for Christmas Dinner. I'm always either too drunk or passed out by the time Eastenders is on. It's not a Christmas tradition for me, it's a hungover day tradition."

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"10pm? ? ? That had better be worthwhile, not just trauma for Linda," another comment anticipated the special to be something exceptional.

However another Reddit user 'worked out the reason' as they penned: "Logical explanation is that it needs to be past the watershed for some reason due to content." "They're gonna have something big planned, which I assume is not going to be good for pre 9pm viewing. 10pm is just coincidental cause of them fitting so too much in on days like xmas day," another fan speculated on the platform.

EastEnders has kept its Christmas plans tightly sealed, with fans suggesting the soap has a lot to 'live up to' following the highly dramatic The Six storyline in Christmas 2023. Recently, this plotline reached a climactic 'end' with , where he took the blame for 's murder.

Navin Chowdhry's poignant final moments saw him being carted off in a police van as The Six - Suki, Stacey, Denise, Sharon, Kathy and Linda - looked on from outside the crime scene, The Queen Vic. Earlier this year, paparazzi snaps revealed a funeral taking place on the Square.

In a shocking twist, actors Maddy Hill and Danny Hatchard were spotted returning to their roles as siblings Nancy and Lee Carter in these mysterious funeral scenes. Elaine, Callum and Johnny were also present, leading many fans to worry that.

This year's festive episode will air just months before the soap's 40th anniversary, which will feature a live broadcast. Additionally, for the first time ever, viewers will have the chance to vote for the outcome of a love story, although the characters involved are yet to be disclosed.

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