EastEnders spoilers follow.
The Christmas Day episode for EastEnders has continued to be a hit with audiences, with viewing figures now soaring past the five million mark.
The festive episode saw the storyline of The Six revealed, with Linda Carter killing Keanu Taylor in a shocking development.
With a fortnight passing since the dramatic episode, the viewing figures have now been updated by BARB, who are reporting that 5.45 million tuned in over the seven days following its premiere.
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This is a sizeable increase from the BBC’s overnight figures on Christmas Day, with the broadcaster reporting that 3.6 million people viewed the episode on its first day.
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Following Keanu’s surprise death in the episode, Danny Walters reflected on his exit from the soap, revealing that it was difficult to keep the development a secret.
“It's been extremely difficult! I feel like I've been very deceitful to my friends and my family [laughs] and have made many excuses!,” he said. “I wanted the storyline to have as much impact as possible for the audience, so I've tried my best to keep everything a secret.
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“The writing in the script was fantastic, and every character had such a great storyline throughout the whole episode. For my character, the episode is a real rollercoaster of emotions from the highs and the lows. It was such a pleasure to be part of.
“It was a great storyline to be a part of, and it is that traditional EastEnders wedding in the way it doesn't go to plan,” he added, referencing Sharon and Keanu’s failed wedding. “I think Keanu has always wanted Sharon – to finally have his chance to make her his wife. Obviously in traditional EastEnders style it didn't go to plan!”
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
