EastEnders is hit by HUGE scheduling shake-up ahead of blockbuster Christmas episode – as fans count down to THAT body reveal

EastEnders have confirmed that they will not be releasing their blockbuster Christmas Day episode on iPlayer early.

Normally soap fans can watch that day's episode online from 6am, but during the hour special viewers will have to tune in at 9.45pm to watch the drama unfold.

EastEnders viewers have been counting down the days until the identity of the mysterious male Queen Vic victim is revealed, after ten months of clues, theories and red herrings.

The fact that the episode won't be available in advance on iPlayer means the final reveal will remain a closely guarded secret until it airs on screen.

The long-running storylines surrounding The Six – Linda Carter, Suki Panesar, Stacey Slater, Denise Fox, Kathy Beale and Sharon Mitchell – will finally come to a head on Christmas Day, when a male character meets their maker.

Over the past ten months, fans have been given small clues pointing to the identity of the man in question. A telling sign is that a pair of cufflinks can be seen on the body.

The shortlist has already been reduced to seven: Phil Mitchell, Keanu Taylor, Ravi Gulati, Dean Wicks, Nish Panesar, Rocky Cotton and Jack Branning.

And in scenes aired on Tuesday, viewers saw the mystery cufflinks in question as Alfie Moon sold a huge box of the accessory ahead of the festive season.

While fans noticed that it appeared all seven possible victims would be wearing the cufflinks, three of the boxes Alfie sold were a different colour.

This has led some fans to claim that this meant three characters could be killed off in a breathtaking twist on Christmas Day.

Anticipation is mounting for the upcoming Christmas Day episode of EastEnders, which will finally see the identity of the male body in the Queen Vic revealed.

Sharon and Keanu prepare for their wedding, with the groom unaware that his wife-to-be is hiding a big secret about the paternity of her son Albie.

When her ex Phil arrives to attend the big day, it remains to be seen whether the ceremony will go ahead.

Normally soap fans can watch that day's episode online from 6am, but during the hour special viewers will have to tune in at 9.45pm to watch the drama unfold.

The wedding turns out to be more eventful than expected, with Sharon joining Linda, Denise, Kathy, Suki and Stacey in the Vic as they all try to come to terms with the events of the day in question.

However, none of them could have predicted what would happen next, with The Six's lives changed forever when a male Walford resident met his demise.

Ahead of the hour-long episode, showrunner Chris Clenshaw has hinted that new steps have been taken to ensure the episode's outcome remains a closely guarded secret.

He said: 'We've used various methods throughout the year to keep the storyline secret and ensure that the Christmas Day episode and the big reveal of who's on the floor – plus who's doing it – remains a secret until the 25th of December.

“Unfortunately, I can't reveal what those methods are because that would give everything away, but it would be a real shame if someone spoiled the surprise because we know how much audiences love to see the drama unfold in real time.”

Ahead of the Christmas episode, viewers have seen how several storylines involving The Six came together, culminating in the dramatic festive showdown.

Explaining where each character is in the run-up to Christmas, Chris said: 'Stacey struggles in the wake of Theo and her desperation to find out the truth about Eve's whereabouts sees her connect with someone who takes her away. surprise.

“Suki is very concerned about Eve and she will do her utmost to risk everything to find out if her husband, Nish, is behind Eve's sudden disappearance.

In scenes aired Tuesday, viewers got a glimpse of the mysterious cufflinks that have hinted at the identity of the male character who will meet their maker

'Linda is further tormented by Dean Wicks and his actions cause old habits to die a hard death for our landlady.

'Sharon plans to marry Keanu Taylor on Christmas Day, hiding the truth from him that their son Albie is in fact Phil Mitchell's, but this is not a secret Sharon can comprehend and secrets never stay in the square long secret. …

'Denise's marriage to Jack has been on the rocks since her fallout with Ravi Panesar earlier this year, but things come under even more strain when, this side of Christmas, one of them breaks his wedding vows.

'Kathy is heartbroken after discovering that her husband Rocky Cotton was behind the arson attack on her beloved cafe, which left both her grandsons in hospital and Peter fighting for his life. Robbed of all her savings, Kathy had no choice but to sell her pride and joy just before Christmas.”

The storylines have been praised by many viewers for breathing new life into the soap this year, and the fallout is expected to continue well into 2024.

EastEnders airs on Christmas Day at 9.45pm on BBC One and iPlayer.