Behind the scenes! ALL the secrets from the EastEnders Christmas day episode!

EastEnders

by A Jakes |
Updated on

The EastEnders Christmas day episode 2017was one of the greatest to date. EVEN better when Pauline Fowler was found slumped on The Square next to the massive Christmas tree.

Last night's episode involved a rekindling of Max and Stacey's romance with him calling her 'the love of his life', Tanya came back (hurrah!) and Stacey Fowler made a cuppa by pouring the milk first in the mug, which we all can agree, should definitely be illegal.

Oh and storyline of the night? Max threatened to jump of the Queen Vic, only for his daughters Lauren and Abi to scale the building and try desperately the coax him down...

... and in true 'Enders style, fell off the roof themselves!

The BBC1 soap is back to it's glory days, that's for sure.

Now, Jacqueline Jossa (who playsLauren Branning) and Jake Wood (Max) have lifted the lid on some of the show's secrets when filming the dramatic scenes.

EastEnders
©BBC1

Turns out it was really, really, REALLY cold during filming.

Jacqueline toldThe Sun, '[It was] freezing cold! It was two in the morning!'

'Lorna wasn't scared at all, I was terrified!'

“But in fairness she could see where she was falling and I was falling backwards.”

EastEnders
The pair filmed the scenes early in the morning in the cold and rain! ©Twitter

It turns out, the girls did have to fall of The Queen Vic, but not as far as, er, the floor. We don't think that would have been signed off by BBC1 bosses!

Jake Wood told The Sun, “It was 10ft!

“They built a platform with some boxes and they actually had to fall backwards off the roof

EastEnders
Lauren and Abi had to actually fall from The Queen Vic roof! ©BBC1

“I wouldn't have done it. They were very brave. The platform was very high.”

Blimey, it looks terrifying!

What did you think of last night's 'Enders episode? Do you think Lauren and Abi will live and be back to eating turkey sandwiches? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

NOW: Check out all best EastEnders Christmas day episodes... EVER!

Gallery

Eastenders Christmas Day episodes

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CREDIT: BBC

10. Frank Butcher RETURNS

Who could that be knocking on the door on Christmas Day? Santa? Rudolph? No, it's Frank Butcher of course! Frank made his return to Albert Square on Christmas Day 1995 after over a years absence, much to the horror of Pat, who'd recently shacked up with fellow car dealer Roy Evans. Awks!

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CREDIT: BBC

9. Jamie Mitchell's heartbreaking goodbye

One of EastEnders' saddest Christmas Day moments has to be when we said goodbye to the adorable Jamie Mitchell. His relationship with Sonia may have been short-lived (thanks to Martin Fowler, who accidentally knocked Jamie down in a dramatic hit and run), but it was definitely the real thing. Jamie and Sonia's love story came to a tragic end on Christmas Day 1998, when Jamie took his final breaths in hospital with Sonia by his side as the couple declared their undying love for each other. In true EastEnders style, Jamie's heartbreaking final moments were shown alongside scenes of Mo and Billy's marriage vows to the soundtrack of 'Stand by Me'. Basically, the whole nation was left bawling into their family-sized tubs of Celebrations.

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CREDIT: BBC

8. Max Branning comes back to Albert Square

Christmas Day 2016 saw the shock return of the infamous Max Branning. After serving time in prison after being falsely accused of Lucy Beale's murder, a bitter Max returned to the square in the last 30 seconds of the Christmas special. The 'duff duff duff' left us all gawping at our screens wondering what this meant for the residents of Albert Square - especially the Beales!

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CREDIT: BBC

7. Dirty Den serves Ange a divorce

We couldn't write an ultimate ranking of EastEnders' most SHOCKING Christmas Day episodes without throwing it back to the 80's when Den and Ange were the landlords of The Queen Vic (we know, nostalgia alert). Who can forget Christmas Day 1986 when Dirty Den presented Ange with a divorce-shaped Crimbo present, after finding out about her cancer lie. Only on EastEnders, eh!

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CREDIT: BBC

6. Pauline Fowler passes away (under the square's Christmas tree, of course!)

Feisty Pauline Fowler was in EastEnders for an incredible 21 years, so we have to admit, we were a little disappointed that her death was so, well, low key. After a bust-up with Sonia in The Queen Vic, Pauline took a little lie down under the square's Christmas tree... and never woke up again. It may not have been dramatic, but it was certainly moving.

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CREDIT: BBC

5. Archie Mitchell meets his maker

Villainous Archie Mitchell may have only been in EastEnders for a year and a half, but caused all sorts of trouble in that time. Things came to a head (pun intended!) on Christmas Day 2009, when Archie was whacked over the head with The Queen Vic's iconic bar statue in front of 10.9 million viewers. What a way to go.

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CREDIT: BBC

4. Evil Trevor torments Little Mo

Christmas 2001 was quite possibly EastEnders' bleakest festive showing of all time, as it focused on Little Mo and her abusive husband Trevor. The nation held its collective breath as we watched evil Trevor overflow Mo's Christmas dinner with gravy, before shoving the whole lot on the floor and making his terrified wife eat the remains off the carpet. Cheery it was not.

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CREDIT: BBC

3. Abi and Lauren fall off the roof of the Queen Vic

The Brannings are never far from the drama at Christmas and 2017 was no exception as Abi and Lauren headed to the roof of the Queen Vic to save their dad Max who was threatening to jump. But, in a dramatic turn of events, it was the girls who ending up falling off the roof, leaving pregnant Abi dead.

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CREDIT: BBC

2. Mick FINALLY discovers Dean raped Linda

Christmas Day 2014 saw Mick Carter go full Danny Dyer when he FINALLY found out about Dean raping Linda. After months of tension, Linda finally cracked under the pressure of Mick's romantic proposal and revealed that Dean attacked her. Naturally, furious Mick went straight for Dean's throat (destroying their Christmas dinner in the process), only halting his attack when Shirley dropped yet another bombshell – that Dean and Mick are brothers! What. A. Day.

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CREDIT: BBC

1. Max and Stacey's affair is revealed!

Christmas 2007 was an absolute corker of an episode that will be forever imprinted on our memories, as it was the year Max and Stacey's torrid affair finally came out into the open. For those who have forgotten (HOW COULD YOU?), the horrible truth came out when little Lauren reluctantly gave Bradley a copy of his wedding video for Christmas… although it turned out she'd actually caught Max and Stacey snogging each other's faces off on camera, much to the horror of the extended Branning family and, in fact, the rest of the nation.

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