EastEnders Fans Praise BBC's 'Lovely Gesture' In 40th Anniversary Episodes

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As EastEnders prepares to mark its 40th anniversary this week, fans have praised a ⁘lovely gesture⁘ by the BBC . In a week filled with drama, millions have been gripped by Phil Mitchell's (played by Steve McFadden ) battle with mental health and psychosis, which included flashbacks to his youth with siblings Grant and Sam.

The soap has thrilled audiences with the reappearance of Grant (Ross Kemp), the Mitchell brothers' mate Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), and other familiar faces including Minty Peterson (Cliff Parisi) and Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves). Monday's episode brought most of the current cast together in the Queen Vic, where they watched a 1980s scene featuring Enders' legends Arthur and Pauline Fowler participating in a gameshow.

The show's iconic theme and end credits honoured the departed actors at the close of the nostalgic episode, listing them among the present-day cast. A TikTok user celebrated the moment, sharing on TikTok: ⁘ EastEnders credited Pauline and Arthur Fowler in tonight's episode, what a lovely gesture,⁘ alongside a snapshot of the credits.

⁘I didn't even see that they were in the credits, thank you for uploading,⁘ another fan wrote in response. Viewers also took to X to commend the BBC, meanwhile. ⁘Great memories on EastEnders tonight as the residents watch a classic from 1989, Arthur on Cat and Mouse,⁘ one person penned. ⁘If you'd told them in '89 that they'd be replaying it in 2025, they'd have probably laughed in disbelief. Nice touch with the credits too.⁘

Another viewer praised: ⁘How lovely to see Pauline and Arthur feature in EastEnders - a fitting little recognition of two iconic characters as the 40th is marked. Brilliant way to do it too. And great seeing a beaming Martin watching them with such joy.⁘