Fancy a pint? Head to The Queen Vic – the only pub in England still open... and you don’t need a mask!
EASTENDERS has left thirsty viewers stunned – and rather envious – by keeping its famous pub the Queen Vic open.
In scenes at odds with real life, characters on the BBC One soap are continuing to meet there for drinks and vicious rows despite the current ban on boozers that is expected to last until at least the end of next month.
Fans have taken to Twitter to share their surprise – and envy. One said: ‘ EastEnders is in an alternate universe. Do the police know the Queen Vic is open?’
‘EastEnders is operating in an alternate universe’
Others wrote: ‘Queen Vic – only pub open in the country. Rolling on the floor laughing #Eastenders,’ and ‘EastEnders the Queen Vic should be packed, only pub open in the UK’.
On Friday night, there were dramatic scenes in the pub, a key location on the Albert Square set, when Sharon Mitchell, played by long-serving actress Letitia Dean, became landlady when husband Ian Beale handed over control after annulling their marriage.
The soap’s eaterie Kathy’s Cafe is also open. While sources on set say bosses have kept the two places open to provide escapism for their viewers, they have aired a storyline which saw character Sonia Fowler, played by Natalie Cassidy, work as an NHS nurse on the show and make frequent references to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, other fans have accused the soap of failing in its public service messaging by showing stars not wearing masks.
A spokesperson for the soap said: ‘Writing and filming for the series takes place many months in advance.
‘Whilst references to Covid have been made, it would be impossible to accurately reflect the everchanging situation without refilming months of content, so we decided to continue making the drama our audience expects, providing much needed escapism.’