EastEnders will not air on BBC One tonight as the broadcaster clears its schedule for extended news coverage following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as prime minister and leader of the Labour Party. The soap opera has been moved to BBC Two, where it will air at 9pm, later than its originally scheduled 8.30pm slot.
Starmer Steps Down
Speaking in Downing Street this morning (Monday, June 22), Sir Keir said he accepted he was not best placed to lead Labour into the next general election and had informed the King of his decision to step down. Since the "breaking news" announcement, BBC One has aired extended coverage, including Andy Burnham being sworn in as an MP after declaring his intention to run for leadership.
World Cup Also Causes Disruption
This is not the only change to tonight's schedule. The soap had already been pushed back due to coverage of the FIFA World Cup. Argentina will play Austria in a Group J match at Dallas Stadium this evening, with coverage hosted by Gabby Logan. Kick-off is at 6pm, with BBC One playing host to the coverage from 5.30pm onwards. Original schedules had EastEnders following this at 8.30pm, but due to today's developing news story, an earlier edition of BBC News will instead air at that time. More World Cup coverage will be broadcast on BBC One from 9.30pm as France and Iraq play their group match, with Kelly Cates presenting live from Salford.
Streaming Option Available
Tonight's episode of EastEnders is already available to stream on BBC iPlayer for fans who want to catch up on the latest drama in Walford. In the latest episode, Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) made a big decision after her son, Jordan (Jahsaiah Williams), returned home. Meanwhile, tensions continued to rise between Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) and Bea Pollard (Ronni Ancona), after Bea accused Billy of trying to seduce her. Bea continued to try and drive a wedge between Billy and his wife, Honey (Emma Barton), by insinuating that Billy was controlling. Phil (Steve McFadden) noticed Billy struggling and tried to pay off Bea so that she would leave Walford for good. However, she didn't heed his warning, as she later stormed into The Vic and revealed Phil's offer, claiming that Billy put him up to it. Will Honey believe her husband? We'll have to wait and see.
