EastEnders is getting a schedule shake-up this week – with fans being treated to a double bill of the soap on Tuesday (15th July).

This week, on top of all episodes being available on iPlayer Monday to Thursday from 6am, viewers can tune in at 7.30pm on Monday, on Tuesday at 7.30pm and 8pm, and 7.30pm on Wednesday.

Thursday and Friday’s episodes have been moved as a result of Match of the Day – which is airing the Women’s UEFA Euros quarter-finals, where England will face off against Sweden from 8pm on Thursday, and Spain vs Switzerland will air on Friday.

The schedule shift comes as Walford’s drama continues, with some shocking returns set to rock the Square.

Starting this week is the return of Max Branning’s estranged, son, Oscar, who has been living with mum Tanya and hasn’t been seen on-screen since 2017.

 

Now a teenager, Oscar (played by newcomer Pierre Moullier) returns after his older sister Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) receives an unexpected phone call and runs to get him from a youth detention centre.

Cheeky Oscar arrives with a bang and an ankle tag, and is set to cause trouble across the Square.

Fans have already been warned he’s “very much a Branning” – so we know trouble will be following him, if the ankle tag didn’t make that clear enough already!

Also this week, we’ll see another comeback to the Square: Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) who heads to Walford 27 years since she was last seen in order to look after estranged husband Nigel (Paul Bradley), as his dementia continues to deteriorate his memory.

 

Julie and Nigel left Albert Square together in 1998 for a new life in Scotland, but Nigel returned over Christmas last year, following his dementia diagnosis.

Not wanting to be a burden to Julie, Nigel has been lying low from his wife, with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) taking his old friend under his wing.

However, this week, against Nigel’s wishes, Phil is urged by Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) to give Julie a call – and she comes to her husband’s aide.

However, after the pair haven’t seen each other in nearly two years, both have a lot of questions for each other.