EastEnders has been a staple of British television for 40 years. The soap opera has tackled many taboo subjects during its run. In 1987, it aired the first kiss between two gay men on a British soap.
Happy Birthday EastEnders🥳
To celebrate five writers, past and present, from across the 40-year history of the show choose their most memorable episodes.
Find out which episodes they picked⬇️https://t.co/CdB7UaOyxR#EastEnders40 pic.twitter.com/SB4Kd8ypKz
— Mayor of London's Culture team (@LDN_Culture) February 19, 2025
This sparked controversy and calls for the show to be taken off the air. EastEnders has also addressed domestic violence and coercive control. In the early 2000s, a storyline focused on Little Mo Slater and her abusive partner Trevor Morgan.
Nice article on How London’s Eastend has changed since Eastenders began. Worked there for 4 years. Good people. #Eastenders40 https://t.co/0GUGQcvpuo
— Santanu Vasant PFHEA (@santanuvasant) February 19, 2025
Actress Kacey Ainsworth received hundreds of letters a week from victims of similar violence. People would often approach her in the street to offer support. In 2023, EastEnders featured the first black and dual-heritage family to run a pub in any UK soap.
40 years of this taboo shattering soap.
I'm joined by one of EastEnders most iconic stars on #Drivetime @BBCRadioScot
Don't missWhat are your BEST ever EastEnders moments?
https://t.co/LdslnDrzY3 pic.twitter.com/xEWoQQPTbL
— Fiona Stalker (@Fionasstalker) February 19, 2025
Scenes depicted conversations about colourism between sisters Anna and Gina Knight.
Love this feature from @kurtisreid_ on @bbceastenders’s 40th anniversary, celebrating NI fans (please feel free to insert your own favourite line or episode, as well as the iconic doof, doof ending). Online @BelTel https://t.co/gqBY8JkacH
— Áine Toner (@aineltoner) February 17, 2025
EastEnders’ cultural milestones and impact
Actress Molly Rainford notes that these are important conversations that happen in every mixed-race family’s life.
The soap also made history when Riley Carter Millington played Kyle Slater, becoming the first transgender man to portray a recurring trans character in a British soap. Millington felt a great responsibility in this role due to the lack of on-screen representation for transgender people at the time. Ross Kemp, who plays Grant Mitchell, believes that EastEnders will continue to evolve with society.
He acknowledges that while some may look down upon it, the soap has produced landmark television over its four decades. As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, EastEnders will air a special live episode on Thursday, February 20th. Queen Victoria landlady Elaine, played by Harriet Thorpe, will be a main character for this milestone.
Thorpe shared that it’s incredibly exciting to be part of such a historic moment for the show. Despite EastEnders’ success, new research has revealed that Coronation Street is the best British soap opera of all time. Coronation Street emerged as the best when measuring popularity through a unique index score that considers award wins and nominations, deaths, weddings, divorces per episode, Google searches, and overall ratings.