EastEnders 'flash forward' episode on New Year's Day to give viewers sneak peek of 2026 storyline
The BBC is set to air a special 'flash forward' episode of EastEnders on New Years Day, offering sneak peek of what is to come in the soap in 2026.
Viewers are set to get a peak into the future on Albert Square during a 'flash forward' episode of EastEnders. The special, set to air on BBC1 on New Year's Day, will give viewers a glimpse into the drama that is set to unfold in 2026.
It will follow long-running character Max Branning exactly a year on from the present day, as he finds himself in a situation which will have huge consequences for both himself and his family.
The 30-minute episode, set in 2027, shows Max – played by Jake Wood – at the epicentre of plenty of drama, and with multiple situations unfolding at once, it becomes clear that 2026 has many secrets waiting to be discovered.
Producers said the soap special would provide tantalising clues about what the future holds for Max and those around him over the course of the year.
Executive producer of EastEnders, Ben Wadey, said: "For the first time in the show’s history, we’re going to be offering our viewers an entire flashforward episode set on New Year’s Day 2027.
"2026 is going to be full of drama in Walford, especially for the Brannings, and the episode is sure to raise plenty of questions on how Max has got himself, and his family, into such predicaments, but all is not what it seems, so stay tuned for 2026 to find out how and why."
The special episode will be the first for EastEnders since February 2023, which gave a glimpse of that year's Christmas Day show.
Now, Wood’s character Max - who first arrived in Walford in June 2006 with then-wife Tanya and their daughters Lauren and Abi - is the main focus of the look at the future. He left the BBC soap in 2021, when his character’s affair with Linda Carter ended, before returning earlier this year.