Jack or Ravi? Eastenders lets public decide for 40th anniversary special

Who will Denise pick? It's up to you!

Author: Amy ShephardPublished 7th Jan 2025

Eastenders fans will get the chance to have a say in an upcoming storyline, as BBC bosses put the power in their hands for the 40th anniversary live 'interactive' special.

Fans of the show will know Denise Fox (Diane Parish) is currently caught in a love triangle with estranged husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and soap hunk Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara). But who will she choose? It's up to you to decide.

For the first time ever, viewers will be able to vote for the outcome they hope for. And the results will be revealed in a special 40th anniversary live episode in February.

Last year, Denise and Jack’s marriage ended when it was revealed he’d been having an affair with Stacey Slater. But it appeared hope for a reunion may be on the cards, when the couple reignited a flame in recent episodes.

But their happy-ever-after was soon questioned, when in shock scenes on Christmas Day, Denise began secretly seeing former flame and Walford rogue, Ravi Gulati.

The storyline will come to a head during a special live episode in celebration of the soap's 40th birthday next month.

EastEnders Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw said: 'We’re all so excited to give our audience their first ever chance to decide how one of our big storylines plays out. Their votes will determine whether Denise picks Jack or Ravi, with the outcome being revealed as part of our live episode. There is a lot to come over the next few weeks for all three involved, so it’ll be extremely exciting to see which way the audience choose to take the story!'

Fans were quick to share their thoughts online, with quite a divide in opinions. One viewer wrote on Instagram: 'Jack and Denise all the way as long as the writers can let them be happy for a while afterwards', while a second said: 'Team Ravi, let’s go 😍🙌'.

When did Eastenders first arrive on screens?

We saw the first ever episode of Eastenders on 19th February 1985 - and it included Pauline's pregnancy, a punch-up between Ali and Nick Cotton, and unsurprisingly, trouble in the Queen Vic.

When is the Eastenders anniversary special?

Given the first episode aired on 19th February, it's expected for the special to air on Wednesday 19th February - which eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed is also Billy and Honey's upcoming wedding day.

But we're also told to expect an 'anniversary week', with a lot of upcoming action!

How can you vote?

There's no word yet on how viewers will be able to vote. We'll bring you more details as the special episode nears.

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