EastEnders fans getting up early on Monday to see the soap on BBC iPlayer were in for a surprise when it was missing from its usual place.
The Beeb always puts new episodes on-demand from 6am on the day of broadcast but that was not the case on April 22.
This was not because of a glitch, a mistake, or, good heavens, the cancellation of the long-running soap, according to the broadcaster.
Instead, the BBC has explained a first-of-its-kind episode will feature on the show on Monday, which required editing to go down to the wire.
Why isn’t EastEnders on BBC iPlayer this morning?
Instead of Albert Square, the TCS London Marathon 2024 is the setting for Monday’s episode.
Alongside the 50,000 that completed the race on Sunday were Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick – who ran the 26.2 miles for real as their respective characters Honey and Jay.
Producers have needed time to edit footage from the marathon into the programme, which is expected to air on BBC 1 at 7.30pm.
It will be on iPlayer at 1pm.
“The Square is full of excitement as Jay and Honey prepare to run the London Marathon, Whitney and Zack make a worrying discovery, and Billy faces several hurdles as he attempts to make a gesture,” the BBC write-up reads.
EastEnders has been following a plotline after Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold) died from glioblastoma multiforme.
Jay and Honey were set to run the marathon in her memory and raise money for charities.
Other celebrities to finish the marathon included Joel Dommett and Harry Judd as well as chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
The elite races saw Peres Jepchirchir break a world record for a women’s-only race while the men's race was won by Kenyan Alexander Munyao, ahead of 41-year-old track great Kenenisa Bekele.
