A groundbreaking shift is coming to Walford. For the first time in its 40-year history, EastEnders is putting a major storyline decision directly into the hands of its audience. Viewers will decide the romantic fate of Denise Fox, choosing between her estranged husband, Jack Branning, and her secret lover, Ravi Gulati.
This unprecedented move marks a significant milestone for the iconic BBC soap opera. Fans will not just watch the drama; they’ll dictate a critical plot point, the outcome of which will air during a unique live special in the anniversary week.
Denise and Jack’s marriage spectacularly imploded last year after his affair with Stacey Slater was exposed. Despite the betrayal, lingering feelings and shared family moments have kept a flicker of hope alive for a reconciliation. However, a clandestine Christmas Day rendezvous ignited a passionate affair between Denise and the enigmatic Ravi, a man with a checkered past further complicated by his previous relationship with Denise’s daughter, Chelsea.
This tangled web of relationships leaves Denise at a crossroads, and now, the power to choose her path rests with the audience. “We’re all so excited to give our audience their first ever chance to decide how one of our big storylines plays out,” said EastEnders Executive Producer, Chris Clenshaw. He teased, “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!”
The voting process is simple. After the hour-long episode on February 19, 2025, viewers with a BBC Account (register at BBC.co.uk/account) can cast their votes at BBC.co.uk/EastEnders. The vote opens at 8:30 pm on February 19th and closes at 7:10 pm on February 20th, giving the production team a razor-thin window to prepare for the live episode, airing at 7:30 pm that same evening, from BBC Elstree Centre.
The results will be independently verified before being delivered to Chris Clenshaw. The cast and crew will then race against the clock to bring the audience’s chosen outcome to life on screen. It’s a bold, innovative experiment that places the viewers at the very heart of the Walford narrative.
