'EastEnders' is to go live for its 40th anniversary next year - and viewers will be able to decide the outcome of a storyline in a first-of-its-kind twist.
EastEnders to go live for 40th anniversary and viewers can vote on plot outcome
The BBC One soap will celebrate its 40th birthday in February, and the corporation have confirmed there will be a live episode broadcast from BBC Elstree Centre as part of the anniversary week celebrations.
There will also be an interactive element to the special episode, in which viewers can choose the outcome of a love story.
While the characters involved are yet to be revealed, the cast and crew will be able to adapt the scene to portray whatever the public has voted for.
Speaking about the live episode, Chris Clenshaw, EastEnders' Executive Producer, said: "The 40th anniversary is a milestone event for EastEnders, and we have been planning this week for a long time to ensure that it’s a week full of drama and surprises.
"In fact, as our regular audience will know, we have already seen the return of familiar faces and have many more nods to our history to come which will all build up to our momentous anniversary week. This time, as well as going live, we are adding an extra twist and for the very first time in the history of the show and as a gift to the viewers, we are giving the audience the power to have their say in choosing the outcome of one of our storylines.
"Whilst we’re still keeping the finite details of the 40th close to our chest, I can promise that it will be an unmissable week full of shocking twists that will change Albert Square, and the lives of those who live in it, forever."
It's not the first time 'EastEnders' has aired a live episode.
The show first went live in 2010 for the soap's 25th anniversary, and in the special it was revealed Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) killed Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb).
Five years later, 'EastEnders' went live again for the 30th anniversary.
There was a set of five episodes that all included live elements, as the Who Killed Lucy Beale whodunit was revealed.