Christmas in Walford has always been filled with heartbreak, betrayals, and unforgettable twists – and this year promises to be no different. EastEnders’ new executive producer Ben Wadey has teased that the upcoming festive episode will deliver the “past, present and future” of the soap, with the Slaters and Brannings at the heart of the action.

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Zoe & Kat’s Painful Reunion Brings Back History

Last week, viewers were stunned when Zoe Slater returned to Albert Square after two decades away. Her emotional confrontation with Kat took place in the very same spot where, back in 2001, Kat revealed she was Zoe’s mother in one of the soap’s most iconic moments.

But just as it looked like reconciliation could be possible, Zoe broke her mum’s heart again – refusing to stay in Walford and fleeing from the Queen Vic. Moments later, chaos erupted as Jack Branning and Ravi Gulati fought over a gun, which accidentally went off. The stray bullet was fired in Kat and Zoe’s direction, leaving fans horrified as Zoe was rushed to hospital.

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A Secret Affair Exposed

While Zoe fights for her life, viewers learned another shocking truth in a flashback: she has been secretly seeing Max Branning during her years away from Walford.

The revelation has floored fans, not only because Max is her mother’s old flame, but also because he infamously had an affair with Zoe’s cousin Stacey Slater – a scandal exposed on Christmas Day in 2007 in one of the soap’s most memorable episodes.

Now, history is threatening to repeat itself, with the Slaters once again torn apart by betrayal at Christmas.

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The Brannings Return to the Forefront

Max’s reappearance is set to shake Walford, as his complicated family history collides with Kat and Zoe’s fragile reunion. Last seen in 2021, Max left after his affair with Linda Carter was exposed and he jetted off to New Zealand to be with daughter Lauren. But with Zoe pulling him back into the Square, the Branning legacy is far from over.

Jack, already burdened by the fallout of the gun incident, is dragged into yet another family scandal – and the brothers’ explosive dynamic could turn Christmas on the Square into chaos.

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Ben Wadey Teases Game-Changing Storylines

Speaking to RadioTimes.com, new show boss Ben Wadey promised viewers an unforgettable festive season:

“This Christmas, we’re looking past, present and future, so we’ve got a lot of stuff that we’re very excited to share with the audience.”

He teased that the Slaters and Brannings will be central to the drama, with Zoe carrying “a lot of secrets” back into Walford.

Meanwhile, EastEnders veteran Rudolph Walker (Patrick Trueman) has hinted that the soap will be breaking new ground under Wadey’s leadership:

“I have very high hopes that we are going to see things that maybe we’ve never seen on television before. Or if we did, it hasn’t been highlighted.”

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A Christmas Like No Other

With the ghosts of the past returning, shocking betrayals resurfacing, and life-or-death stakes for Zoe, this year’s Christmas special promises to be one of the most dramatic in EastEnders history.

Will Kat finally repair her relationship with Zoe, or will Max’s involvement tear the Slaters apart all over again? And as the Brannings step back into the spotlight, what future awaits Walford at the turn of the year?