[Eastenders] Queen Vic to be set on fire

[Sharon]

EastEnders' famous pub the Queen Vic will be destroyed by fire later this year, TV bosses have confirmed.

The Albert Square landmark - the scene of so many celebrations, rows and recriminations - will be burned to the ground after being the BBC One soap's hub for a quarter of a century.

Walford chiefs have not revealed whether anyone will die in the blaze, although several characters are set to leave the soap.

Veteran Barbara Windsor is bowing out of the show after 16 years playing former Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell.

In April, it was announced that six characters are being written out, including mechanic Minty Peterson, played by Cliff Parisi, taxi driver Charlie Slater (Derek Martin) and student Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu).

The dramatic scenes will spell the end of the current pub set ahead of the soap's move to high definition in the autumn.

An EastEnders spokeswoman confirmed the pub will be destroyed by a blaze.

The explosive storyline comes in a big year for British soaps. EastEnders bosses marked 25 years of the programme with a live episode in February, and Coronation Street is preparing to celebrate its own 50th anniversary milestone in December.

The Queen Vic has been the scene of many memorable moments during EastEnders' quarter-century. Den Watts famously handed divorce papers to wife Angie in the Vic in 1986.

Grant Mitchell exposed his brother Phil's affair with Sharon to stunned punters in 1994, and Archie Mitchell was bludgeoned to death with a bust of the Queen Victoria in the pub last Christmas.

What a bad loss it won't be the same

[Chris]

WHAT?! Nooooo, why would they want to do that?! Maybe they will replace it with some nice new pub?

[Sameer!]

This will be the down fall of EastEnders.

[-paul.]

its being burnt down then being rebuilt

[Special]

omg i am so telling my friend about this he always ruins things for us (t.v wise) well lets just say revenge is best served cold

[Moh]

Are they going to rebuilt it? =S

[Misawa]

The downfalll of EastEnders? It's already the most laughable, horrifically-written soap opera on TV. And why would anyone want to watch it in HD? I'd rather not see the strings keeping Pat Butcher's face in one piece.

[Nixt]

The downfalll of EastEnders? It's already the most laughable, horrifically-written soap opera on TV. And why would anyone want to watch it in HD? I'd rather not see the strings keeping Pat Butcher's face in one piece.

Surprisingly people still watch it - it's one of the, if not the, most watched soaps on TV. Don't ask me why, but they do. So it can fall from grace, as it were.

[Sameer!]

Yep Garion in the UK it is. and LOL MISAWA

[kuzkasate]

Do any of you read the Habbox Entertainment news

they are burning it down so they can launch their programme in HD, they couldnt launch it early cos of its "shabby set."