EastEnders star thinks it was a mistake to increase soap to four times a week

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EastEnders star Patsy Palmer has revealed that she believes it was a mistake for the BBC One soap to increase its episodes to four times a week.

The actress — who portrayed Bianca Jackson on the long-running serial drama — also revealed that she hasn’t watched the soap in six years.

She told The Sun: ‘I haven’t watched EastEnders for six years, so when I go back I have no idea who anyone is. There’s all new people there.’

‘That’s how that show goes. I don’t know what’s going to happen to it.

‘When I was on set I was talking to one of the writers and I said they should never have had EastEnders go three or four times a week. It was a big mistake in my book.

‘They should have kept it at two times a week, not followed what all the other soap operas did.

‘They should have stayed at two times a week and written really solid, good stories that lasted for quite some time instead of chopping and changing.

‘Now you go away from it for a week, come back and don’t know what’s going on.

When EastEnders launched back in 1985, it did so with only two instalments a week — which were broadcast on a Tuesday and Thursday.

This remained the norm until 1994, when it increased to three times a week, before introducing the fourth episode in 2001 — and has remained at four a week ever since, with the exception of special weeks such as Christmas and anniversaries, which can often see up to five or six episodes being broadcast.