EASTENDERS has faced more schedule chaos after the latest episode ‘goes missing’ from iPlayer.
The BBC soap usually drops each days episode on iPlayer at 6am for fans to watch hours before it airs on BBC One.
But today’s episode has been delayed due to the last minute editing that needs to take place to include scenes from yesterday’s London Marathon.
Actors Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick, who play Honey Mitchell and Jay Brown, ran the Marathon to raise money for charity, and some parts were done in character.
In a post on the show’s official Facebook page on Sunday, bosses confirmed: “Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick have just completed the London Marathon for an upcoming storyline that will see their characters, Honey and Jay, take on the event in memory of their beloved Lola.
“As well as running on behalf of their chosen charities, Emma and Jamie run parts in character to film various scenes along the route.
“These scenes will be edited into the main show this evening, and viewers will be able to watch the special scenes tomorrow (Monday 22nd April) from 13:00 on BBC iPlayer and at 19:30 on BBC One.”
The switch up comes after a string of huge BBC shows were pulled off screens to make way for the Marathon coverage on Sunday.
Before they set off on their epic run, Jamie and Emma explained how quickly the EastEnders production team would have to work to get the scenes into tonight’s episode.
Emma said: “Normally we’re about eight weeks in advance. So they’ll film this today, then back to Elstree, edit this to get into tomorrow’s show.”
She also spoke about the level of detail that had gone into planning the scenes, saying: “Yeah we had a sort of meeting yesterday, like ‘can you be on the left side of this area, the right side of this’ and we’re like oh my goodness!
“It is bonkers because we’re going from enjoying this and running for our charities, but it’s a work day.”
Jamie also revealed show bosses hoped the pair would be able to run alongside one another to help with the camera work.
He said: “They would like us to. If we separate, we’re hoping that it’s not going to be too far.
“But we don’t know, we’ll just have to see on the day!”
Meanwhile Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw tweeted: “It’s another epic EastEnders first, but it doesn’t happen without the willingness and enthusiasm of such a talented crew.
“Proud of the entire @bbceastenders team for pulling this together alongside the support from @LondonMarathon & @BBCSport
teams.”
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THE beloved British soap has been captivating audiences for decades.
EastEnders follows the lives of the residents of Walford as they navigate love, loss, family drama, and community struggles.
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EastEnders airs at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.