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EastEnders Sets First Full Flashforward for New Year’s Day 2026 Centering Max Branning

Producers say the 2027-set instalment will seed clues for storylines that play out across 2026.

Overview

  • The one-off, 30-minute episode will air on BBC One and be available on BBC iPlayer on 1 January 2026.
  • The narrative jumps to New Year’s Day 2027, placing Max Branning in a predicament with major consequences for him and his family.
  • Executive producer Ben Wadey describes it as the show’s first entire flashforward episode, marking a new structural approach.
  • A released promo image shows Max in a suit with a white rose stained with blood, prompting speculation but revealing no plot specifics.
  • The format builds on a brief flashforward used in February 2023, following Max’s 2025 return after his 2021 exit.