EastEnders returns to BBC One amid Queen-related schedule changes

EastEnders will return to BBC One after days of suspended programming in the wake of the Queen’s death.

The broadcaster will continue to air rolling news coverage on Monday with a BBC News special filling regular TV slots alongside HM The King: Westminster Tributes and Scotland: A Service For HM The Queen.

The highly-anticipated episode will see Alfie Moon, played by Shane Richie, return to Walford on the wedding day of Kat Slater and Phil Mitchell, played by Jessie Wallace and Steve McFadden.

The soap famously has royal links. In 2001, the Queen visited soap queen Dame Barbara Windsor, who played Peggy Mitchell, on the EastEnders set as well as June Brown.

Similarly, this year, in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Charles and Camilla made a surprise appearance on the soap.

The royal couple filmed the scenes in March when they visited the new Elstree set and met the cast and crew of the long-running BBC soap opera.

HM The King: Westminster Tributes on BBC One will offer an hour of live coverage of King Charles’ visit to the Palace of Westminster while Scotland: A Service For HM The Queen covers Charles’ visit to Scotland, where he attends a service for the Queen.

The channel will also show Scotland: The Vigil offering coverage from St Giles’ Cathedral where the Queen’s children stand vigil in tribute and a special edition of The One Show titled Our Queen Remembered.

Meanwhile on ITV, Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard will air from 6am until 10am in place of Martin’s Money Mondays, which is to be followed by an ITV news special titled The King’s Tour – Westminster.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby will host a special This Morning from 11am, featuring stories and memories from people who encountered the Queen during her reign, the broadcaster said.

At 1pm, ITV will air Queen Elizabeth II: Lying At Rest which will be broadcast throughout the afternoon before Tipping Point, The Chase and Coronation Street returns to the channel.

The Coronation Street episode that will air was originally scheduled for Friday but was postponed in the wake of the Queen’s death.

The broadcaster will also air an extended ITV News at Ten programme, it said.