EastEnders fears as future of BBC soap looks ‘bleak’ due to ‘desperate’ plots

The future of EastEnders is looking bleak as it’s been reported viewing figures have dropped dramatically. It’s believed fans have been switching off from the BBC soap due to the ‘desperate’ storylines created by chief Chris Clenshaw. One of which includes bringing back the character of Cindy Beale (played by Michelle Collins), who many believed to be dead. With claims that the stories have now become too ‘woke’, a source told The Sun this could be the beginning of the end for the long-running show. They said: ‘It’s a worrying time for EastEnders. It used to be the show everybody was talking about. Cindy Beale “returned from the dead” in recent scenes (Image: BBC) ‘But, it’s now in a precarious position where older viewers are switching off, and younger viewers have no interest. ‘Bringing back presumed-dead characters is a desperate move which rarely works. ‘EastEnders is really running out of options, we could be watching its final years.’ The soap recently came under fire for its decision to build a new £87 million set, which was paid for using licence fee payers’ money. The ratings have dropped dramatically for the BBC soap (Image: BBC) Within the past two years, EastEnders has said goodbye to two huge characters as Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) and Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) left the soap. However, the BBC has hit back at the ratings drop as a spokesperson told OK! figures tend to fall at this time of year when the show is moved onto BBC2 for Wimbledon coverage. They said: ‘EastEnders episodes are made live to the audience at 6am every morning on BBC iPlayer giving the audience the choice to watch when and where they choose. ‘So when episodes are moved to a different day, or channel, due to a live sporting event it is no surprise that this is reflected in the regular overnight audience. The soap has been going for over 30 years (Image: BBC) ‘Over the last two weeks EastEnders has been streamed almost 18 million times on BBC iPlayer and remains one of iPlayer’s most popular programmes.’ Although they confessed that the ratings aren’t near what they used to be, the source revealed their feedback shows young people are still loving the soap. Despite mixed feelings on Cindy Beale returning from the ‘dead’ many were thrilled to see the return of Thomas Law who reprised his role as Peter Beale, 13 years after leaving. EastEnders is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.