EastEnders fans punished once again as BBC iPlayer release is delayed due to London Marathon

EastEnders fans often find themselves bearing the brunt of the BBC’s schedule changes, with episode postponements and shake-ups coming faster than you could pour a pint at the Queen Vic.

Now, BBC bosses are set to continue that trend with today’s (April 22) episode being delayed for online viewers. Episodes of EastEnders typically go onto BBC iPlayer at 6am on the day of transmission - but this one will not be uploaded until 1pm.

The reason for this is that, for the first time in the show’s history, real-life footage is going to be used in the episode, with the production team needing that little extra time to edit it in. Jamie Borthwick and Emma Barton, who play Jay and Honey on the BBC soap, took part in the London Marathon over the weekend, which will be woven into the Albert Square storyline.

Posting on Facebook, a spokesperson said: “Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick have just completed the London Marathon for an upcoming storyline that will see their characters, Honey and Jay, take on the event in memory of their beloved Lola. As well as running on behalf of their chosen charities, Emma and Jamie run parts in character to film various scenes along the route.

"These scenes will be edited into the main show this evening, and viewers will be able to watch the special scenes tomorrow (Monday, April 22) from 1pm on BBC iPlayer and at 7.30pm on BBC One."

Speaking ahead of the marathon, Barton said: “There's three scenes - there is the start line, then Cutty Sark, then Tower Bridge and then the finish line. We've just got to really make sure we and the cameras all work together as well as we possibly can.”