EastEnders airs surprise reference to Euros 2024 as Martin Fowler, Alfie Moon, and Harvey Monroe gather in the square to cheer on England
EastEnders made a surprise reference to Euro 2024 ahead of the final in Berlin on Sunday.
The soap opera, which is no stranger to filming special additions, aired a surprising, topical reference to the match against the Netherlands after the Three Lions’ victory earlier this week.
In the new scene, characters Martin Fowler, Alfie Moon and Harvey Monroe gather in the square to look back on the most exciting moments of the semi-final.
Discussing the match, the trio expressed their hope that this time it could be a ‘homecoming’ after England lost to Italy in 2021.
Harvey asks his mates in the scene: “Do you think we can go all the way?” to which Alfie replies: “We dare to dream, my friend. Dare to dream!” before the trio embrace and begin to sing.
EastEnders added a surprise reference to Euro 2024 ahead of the final in Berlin on Sunday
In the new scene, characters Martin Fowler, Alfie Moon and Harvey Monroe gather in the square to reflect on the most exciting moments of the semi-final and share their hopes that it is finally ‘coming home’
It is the second time this month that EastEnders has taken a cue from current affairs, as the soap aired a segment on July 4 about the general election between Harvey and Ian Beale.
The soap featured the scene in the second episode of a double bill, which aired on BBC iPlayer when the polls opened at 7am.
In the scene, Ian tells Harvey that he is on his way to the polling station to cast his vote, but Harvey admits that he had no idea the election was even happening.
Harvey admitted he was so busy he forgot about the election, adding, “And besides, it’s only one vote. What difference does it make?”
Ian began: ‘You know what if everyone thought like that…’ before Harvey eventually agreed to go to the polling station, but added that it was unlikely that he and Ian ‘would vote for the same people.’
It is not the first time that EastEnders has referred to important news moments with specially filmed scenes, with previous scenes specifically referencing the Royal Family.
In 2022, the soap paid tribute to the late Queen, but the episode opened with a scene describing the monarch’s death as “devastating” and as if the entire country had “lost its nan”.
The scene saw Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) adjust a photo of The Queen on the bar of the Queen Vic, before Denise Fox said: “God bless her, she’s been there all our lives. It’s like she’s all we’ve ever known.”
It’s the second time this month that EastEnders has borrowed from current affairs, as the soap aired a General Election-themed moment between Harvey and Ian Beale on 4 July
In the scene, Ian Beale told Harvey Monroe that he was on his way to the polling station to cast his vote, but the latter confessed that he had no idea the election was taking place
Ian began, “You know what, if everyone thought like that…” before Harvey finally agreed to go to the polling station.
This isn’t the first time EastEnders has referenced key moments in the news, with a special scene paying tribute to The Queen following her death in 2022.
Kathy Beale, played by Gillian Taylforth, responded: “It just feels very personal, doesn’t it? It’s really devastating.”
“It’s like we lost our grandmother,” Diane said
“Well, we have. I mean, the country is lost… we all lost our grandmother. She devoted her whole life to serving us,” Linda replied.
The BBC soap has often included extra scenes over the years to mark important events, such as the birth of Prince George, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the death of the Queen Mother. Last year’s World Cup semi-final was also frequently shown in the soap.