EastEnders wrapped up a dramatic week celebrating its 40th anniversary with an emotional live episode that ended in tragedy, though some viewers found themselves sidetracked. The demise of murderous accountant Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) was confirmed on Wednesday when he was fatally crushed by debris and a bathtub that fell through the ceiling.
Concurrently, Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) went into labour in her kitchen while Martin Fowler (James Bye) was pinned under a steel beam following the lethal explosion.
In Thursday’s episode set in Walford (February 20), the aftermath of the blast at The Queen Vic continued to unfold, with lives hanging in the balance. Sonia faced the daunting prospect of giving birth amidst the chaos, while Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) did everything possible to ensure a safe delivery.
Sonia endured agonising pain as she gave birth, only to seemingly have a seizure moments later. As Bianca cradled her newborn niece, there was no movement from the baby, and Sonia struggled to recover from the ordeal.
Panic ensued as Bianca and Lauren desperately urged Sonia to help her “dying baby”. Thankfully, Sonia mustered the strength to aid her daughter, who then let out a cry, reports Plymouth Live.
Emergency services finally arrived, and Sonia and her baby were safely escorted to a waiting ambulance. However, some viewers were distracted by Sonia’s “opera singing” during the birth of her daughter Julia.
On X, viewers were left gobsmacked by the scene in EastEnders with one person commenting: “Sonia singing opera while giving birth was not on my bingo card for this year #EastEnders #EELive.”
Another viewer expressed their surprise: “I thought Sonia was singing opera for a second! #EastEnders #EastEnders40.”
A third joined in the online reaction: “AM SCREAMING THAT SWITCH FROM MARTIN DYING TO SONIA OPERA SINGING #EastEnders #EastEnders40.”
The unexpected turn of events continued to amuse fans, as one remarked: “Not Sonia’s screams giving opera singing #EastEnders40 #EastEnders”, while another exclaimed: “Omg I’m screaming why is Sonia singing opera while giving birth? #EastEnders #EELive.”
EastEnders continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.