EastEnders scenes were deemed so traumatic and controversial they had to be scrapped just days before the episode aired. Producers were forced to make the big cuts following public outrage and complaints over the soap’s storyline.
One scene that was particularly upsetting to fans of the BBC programme, showed the moment Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) tearfully rocked baby Tommy’s white coffin in the back of the hearse.
This was absent when the episode aired later that week. But despite the broadcaster swiftly making the chops and changes, viewers still took to soap forums to complain about the editing.
At the time, many accused the BBC of reshooting scenes that featured Essex girls Jodie Gold and Poppy Meadow sitting in the Queen Vic pub.
One posted on an online forum at the now historical storyline: “Once again it shows how out of touch the BBC can be and I believe those cut scenes were probably due to a knee-jerk reaction by senior BBC executives forced on EastEnders.”
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Another said: “Do the producers of EastEnders have no backbone? What an insult to the millions of viewers who love the baby swap plotline and think that the acting from the main characters involved in it has been fantastic.
"Perhaps a BBC producer should come on to this forum and explain why the minority are being pandered to?”
A third added: “What the hell is going on? They must have edited some scenes from tonight’s episode and replaced it with these two divs.”
An EastEnders insider said during the controversy: “The scenes showing the little white coffin were a bit much. A lot of people who had already seen the episode felt it was going a little too far.
“So all the scenes which showed Kat clutching the coffin were left on the cutting room floor... But sadly the information about what the episode contained was already in the public domain and a lot of fans were not happy with their decision. No scenes were reshot – they were just tweaked slightly.”
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The incident, which took place years ago, was such a watershed moment for the soap, that it has managed to avoid similar mishaps.
It has since gone on to bag several major gongs, including Best Soap at the National Television Awards. BBC bosses also confirmed that it is going live for a full episode as part of the celebrations for its 40th anniversary.
The announcement was posted on social media on Monday and there is set to be a "twist" as viewers will have the power to choose the outcome of one storyline.
Taking to X, the post read: "#EastEnders is going live for a full episode as part of the celebrations for its 40th anniversary but this time with a twist! The audience will have the power to decide the outcome of one storyline..."
The episode will take place in February 2025 and fans of the show will be able to choose the outcome of a love story. Details of who is involved remain under wraps for the meantime.
