'Chris Clenshaw's final EastEnders episode was the perfect ending - here's why'

Daily Mirror

a day ago

Last night, viewers watched on as Chris Clenshaw's final EastEnders episode aired - after three years in charge. Despite only being in the chair a short period of time - I believe Chris brought back life into the soap. I became invested in the character's lives in Walford before I could even walk, but I'll admit, there was a period of time I lost my love for the show.
The nostalgic feel and returns over the last few years made it feel like the old EastEnders again for me, which is why I think his final episode was the perfect ending...
During Chris' final episode, we saw Kat and Alfie tie the knot for the third (and hopefully final) time. Although many fans said they were "tired" of the storyline - I believe it was the perfect nostalgic ending. My earliest memories of the soap are Kat and Alfie behind the Vic's bar together, and them not being together just felt wrong. (But not as wrong as Kat's marriage to Phil).
With rumours swirling around about the new owner of the Vic, the couple are now in the perfect position to go back to where they belong...
It's not just the final episode, however. I believe the last few months have been some of the best yet, and sweeping up at the British Soap Awards this year proves this.
The standout of the final few months was obviously the 40th anniversary live episode - the return of Angie Watts and the tragic death of Martin Fowler (which I'm still not over).
Angie's return (from the dead) had everyone, including me, shook to their core. However, my favourite part about the whole thing was how much of a surprise it was. The cast and crew went through amazing efforts to keep it under wraps - and it paid off.
We also had the return of Ross Kemp as Grant Mitchell, although I'll admit, his character was very unlikeable in the week he was back.
Fans being able to vote for the first time was ground-breaking, however, I do have a huge complaint from this. The hype surrounding the Jack, Denise and Ravi love triangle was huge - only for Jack and Denise to barely be seen together again after this.
As someone who voted for Ravi, I can't say it bothers me that we don't have Denise and Jack scenes, but I feel like we were sold all this for nothing. Nevertheless, it was a small hinderance to a great week.
I can't write about the final few months without mentioning Steve McFadden's outstanding performance during Phil Mitchell's psychosis storyline.
It was a complete different side to the tough Phil we all know and love - and Steve played it perfectly. I'm not one to cry at TV or films, but I think I finished the tissue box while watching the standalone flashback episode in February. The tears continued when he was admitted to hospital, and now I would go as far to say I feel joy when I see him cracking jokes in the Square.
One of my favourite episodes in EastEnders to date was the New Years Day episode of 2025. Although I was gutted to see Navin Chowdhry and Nish Panesar leave the soap, I don't remember the last time a programme had me audibly gasping like his death did.
From the poisonings, to the fight on the roof, the whole episode was full of drama, thrill, anxiety and a huge unexpected ending – and that's what soaps are all about.
As a British Indian myself, I've loved seeing the characters develop in recent years, turning into much loved characters on the soap – and I hope this continues.
However, I will admit, one thing I haven't been a fan of during the end of Clenshaw's reign is the recent Christmas storylines. The Six storyline started off so well although me, and many others, became tired of how long it dragged on afterwards. The same can be said for Cindy's 'whodunnit'. The storyline dragged for months - only to come to an anticlimactic end with Kathy's "reveal," and even then, I wouldn't class it as a "huge reveal".
Next up is Ben Wadey's run and I, along with many others, are excited to see where he takes the soap. One thing's for sure, he's not wasting any time. Before his reign even officially started onscreen, rumours began floating around that he was planning to bring back some iconic characters. And some could be sooner than we think...
Last night, the soap revealed Monday's episode (June 16) will be simulcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7.30pm - to mark the start of Ben Wadey's journey as Executive Producer. But that's not all - as the soap has teased something huge to come.
Speaking on his first week in charge, Ben said: 'Next week marks the start of something big in Walford that we hope will get everyone talking, and it's only just the beginning. We've got twists, shocks, and plenty of drama lined up for a summer you don't want to miss.'
EastEnders then released a cryptic promo video alongside the announcement - as a door, numbered 14, opened on the street. It's safe to say that the caption: "Knock Knock. Who's there?" hints towards a return. Of course, fans are going wild with their theories.
With EastEnders, anything can happen, but I'm personally hoping for the return of Max Branning (Jake Wood), who in my opinion is up there with one of the most iconic characters to grace Walford.
Whether it's Max, Zoe, or someone (or something) else, I honestly cannot wait to see what Ben Wadey has in store for us on Monday, and beyond...
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