EASTENDERS fans were left stunned by a shock moment ‘that never happens’ on last night’s show but did you spot it?
The BBC One soap showed a feud brewing between Priya Nandra-Hart and Vicki Fowler as Vicki asked Ian Beale for money.
EastEnders fans were left stunned by the unusual moment in the soap’s history[/caption]
Vicki, played by Alice Haig, has been lying about her reason behind her Walford comeback.
Back to attend her uncle Martin’s funeral she’s also looking for some money to cover her growing debts.
During last night’s episode, Vicki approached her cousin Ian Beale for a handout.
But before Ian could agree, Priya suddenly pipped in and said: “She’s a chancer,”
Vicki, looked visibly shocked by her intrusion and shouted: ” Who are you? You don’t know me”
But Priya continued and said: “Ask her when she can pay you back.”
Vicki then had to admit that she didn’t know.
But Ian still gave Vicki the benefit of the doubt and thought about her request.
Priya left, but not before threatening Vicki with a one-liner that was a clear nod to the Neighbours theme tune.
“And by the way, I live next door,” Priya explained to Vicki before she flounced out.
“What’s it they say in Australia? Everybody needs good neighbours.”
Soap fans were thrilled to spot the reference and flocked to social media to share their joy.
“Soap Inception of the highest calibre” said one fan.
A second added: “The Neighbours reference on EastEnders! Nothing short of ICONIC!”
EastEnders stars who’ve been on Strictly Come Dancing
Throughout its 20-year history, Strictly Come Dancing has welcomed several stars from BBC soap EastEnders. Here’s a look at how some of them did over the years.
- Christopher Parker (Series One): Christopher played Alfie Moon’s (Shane Richie) younger brother Spencer from 2002 to 2005. finished as runner-up in Strictly’s first series.
- Jill Halfpenny (Series Two): Jill starred as Kate Mitchell in EastEnders from 2002 to 2005. She triumphed over Denise Lewis and Julian Clary to win the second series of Strictly.
- Louisa Lytton (Series Four): Known for her role as EastEnders’ Ruby Allen, Louisa took part in Strictly’s fourth series. She finished in fourth place.
- Letitia Dean (Series Five): Letitia, who debuted as Sharon Watts in the show’s first episode, took to the Strictly dance floor in series five. She finished in fourth place.
- Matt Di Angelo (Series Five): Dean Wicks actor Matt also competed in series five of Strictly, finishing as runner-up behind Alesha Dixon.
- Gillian Taylforth (Series 6): Gillian, known for her long-running portrayal as Kathy Beale, took part in series 6. She ended up being the second person voted out.
- Jessie Wallace (Series 6): Kat Slater actress Jessie also competed in series 6, but was fourth voted out.
- Scott Maslen (Series 8): Scott, who plays Jack Branning, reached a respectable fourth place on Strictly.
- Kara Tointon (Series 8): Kara, who played Dawn Swann, won Strictly series 8 back in 2010.
- Sid Owen (Series 10): Sid, who played Ricky Butcher, was eliminated in the show’s fourth week.
- Jake Wood (Series 12): While his EastEnders character Max Branning was unlucky-in-love, actor Jake fared better with a fifth-place finish on Strictly.
- Kellie Bright (Series 13): Kellie – aka Queen Vic landlady Linda Carter – finished as the runner-up of series 13.
- Emma Barton (Series 17): Known for playing Honey Mitchell, Emma reached third place on Strictly in 2019.
- Maisie Smith (Series 18): Formerly playing Tiffany Butcher-Baker, actress Maisie was 2020’s second-place Strictly finalist.
- Rose-Ayling Ellis (Series 19): Rose won over viewers’ hearts when she soared to victory in 2021.
- Bobby Brazier (Series 21): Having joined the cast as ‘Freddie Slater’ in 2022, Bobby joined the 2023 Strictly line-up. He finished in third place.
- Jamie Borthwick (Series 22): Jamie, aka Jay Brown, won the 2023 Strictly Christmas Special – and has been signed up for the next full series.
While a third viewer wrote: “Neighbours reference in Eastenders I’ve won.”
“Yas Priya! :joy: #Neighbours shoutout from #Eastenders” stated another fan.
However, it’s not the first time the soaps have shared a love for each other.
Back in 2020, eagle eyed Neighbours fans spotted the Aussie soap paying tribute to EastEnders as both shows celebrated their 35th anniversaries.
The Waterhole bar advertised a list of Walford themed cocktails for its happy hour, which happened to be the exact time EastEnders airs: 7.30pm – 8pm.
The boozy menu included a Walford Sour, Fowler Fizz, Slater Colada and Dry Mitchell and put a smile on viewers’ faces.
At the time, one fan wrote on social media: “Did anyone else see the #Eastenders reference in today’s #Neighbours?
“Both soaps are celebrating 35 years & even though I don’t watch Eastenders, I hope they do the same for their Aussie counterpart. Nice touch.”
Responding to the post, another viewer wrote: “That’s really cool!”
While another added: “I love that.”
Eastenders airs Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One and also streams on BBC iPlayer.
