EastEnders fans were over the moon to see much-loved background characters Tracey and Winston share some rare speaking lines during last night's episode (Thursday, May 1).
The Knight family made their explosive arrival to the Square last night and the new Queen Vic landlord George Knight (Colin Salmon) wasted no time in introducing himself to the residents.
As Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and her mother Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) bickered upstairs after the Knights' arrival, George surprised Queen Vic barmaid Tracey (Jane Slaughter) with his unexpected presence in the pub as she walked in.
"Oh! Hello," a startled Tracey said.
"Let me guess, Tracey?" he asked.
"Yes, yeah," she replied.
He then revealed that he had heard a lot about her before their conversation was interrupted by the row upstairs.
George then disappeared to sort things out between Linda and Elaine as Tracey walked away smirking.
The often silent Queen Vic barmaid Tracey is a long-standing Walford resident and has been in the soap since the first episode aired in 1985.
She is mainly seen in the background with barely any speaking lines and is mostly manning the bar while the main characters are busy dealing with other issues.
Later on, George was the talk of the town when he greeted the other residents at the market.
After George spoke to Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) on her stall, Whitney asked fellow market trader Winston (Ulric Browne) who he was.
"You're kidding! That's George Knight," he excitedly told her, to which a baffled Whitney still had no idea what he was talking about.
Market trader Winston has also been in the soap since 1985 and has lived in Walford all his life.
Winston has his own stall and is usually seen helping other market traders by guarding their stalls for them and engaging in minor conversations with other residents.
One of his most memorable storylines was when he had his head shaved for charity in 2001, which was sponsored by regulars at The Vic.
Fans were delighted to see Tracey and Winston get more screen time and voiced their surprise on Twitter...
First Tracey and now Winston getting some lines, we are being treated tonight! #EastEndersJune 1, 2023
Tracey and Winston getting lines tonight. #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/57klv8zwOCJune 1, 2023
Extra budget on tonight's @bbceastenders we have had Winston and Tracy both speak a line! #EastendersJune 1, 2023
Oh Winston and Tracey both had lines tonight! #EastEndersJune 1, 2023
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
