EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders made a reference to sitcom On the Buses as Aunt Sal was laid to rest.
The character, who was played by Anna Karen until 2017, died off-screen last week, with the Mitchells coming together in tonight’s (January 15) episode to pay their respects as they gathered for the funeral.
Before they arrived at the cemetery, a reference was made to Karen’s role as Olive Rudge in the iconic sitcom, which ran from 1969 to 1973.
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As the Mitchells gathered at their house, Phil asked Sam: "You sure you booked them cabs?" To which she replied: “Yeah, of course I have. How else are we going to get there, on the buses?”
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Fans expressed their joy at the reference on social media, with one viewer writing on X/Twitter: "#EastEnders says goodbye to Aunt Sal tonight. There are some cute little nods to the wonderful Anna Karen’s previous work, including this reference on On the Buses."
“So as the #Eastenders cast attend Aunt Sal's funeral, a lovely subtle little tribute to #AnnaKaren from the scriptwriters... 'so, how are we going to get there (Sal's Funeral), On The Buses ?' Beautifully done. #Onthebuses," added another fan.
Kim Medcalf, who plays Sam Mitchell, recently spoke about how Sam feels about the loss of Aunt Sal.
"It’s very sad but it’s an opportunity for Sam to up her game and become this matriarchal figure because her mum is not around.
“She’s stepping up and trying to do the right thing for the Mitchells and for Aunt Sal. It’s quite a mix of emotion and humour. It is a lovely celebration and we get to meet Aunt Sal’s husband Harold, who is just fantastic.
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“He does this really moving speech about his wife. It is emotional. Aunt Sal was loved and especially by Peggy, so it feels like there’s a bit of Peggy in that room too.”
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.
