Soaps

Queen Vic open for business when EastEnders returns

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief

Published: July 2 2020 | 21:26

Last updated: July 7 2020 | 14:23

EastEnders actor Jake Wood reveals that the Queen Vic will be open and serving punters when the soap returns to the BBC schedules in September.

EastEnders actor Jake Wood has revealed that iconic boozer the Queen Victoria will be open when the soap returns in September.

For the first time in its 35-year history, the Walford-based drama dropped off air in the middle of last month due to the production shutdown resulting from the coronavirus crisis.

Filming of new episodes began on Monday, however, and with most pubs in England due to open up again this Saturday, the Vic will be shown serving punters.

"The Queen Vic is opening up," Wood - aka Max Branning - told Good Morning Britain. "And I think everyone in there will be socially distanced."

Talking about the show's new safety measures, he added: "It's quite extraordinary with how they're shooting it. They've done tests where they've been there for weeks working out the way to do it.

"We've seen some of the stuff they've shot and it's very clever, I think you're not going to notice the difference as a viewer.

"There's other stuff they're doing as well, that I can't talk about, but almost every shot has CGI in it."

EastEnders is expected to return to the BBC One schedules on Monday, September 7.