EastEnders' Executive Producer describes the New Year storyline and his commitment towards it.
EastEnders Executive Producer Bryan Kirkwood has defended the soap’s harrowing cot death baby-swap storyline that is tipped to spark thousands of complaints from viewers.
In tragic scenes, distraught mum Ronnie Branning is seen stumbling around the Square cradling her dead son James.
Grief-stricken, she ends up inside the Queen Vic pub after hearing Kat and Alfie Moon’s new-born baby Tommy crying from the upstairs window.
Viewers will then see her try to tell sister Roxy that James is dead but when they check his cot all is fine.
Then Ronnie realises she has brought Tommy home with her and left James in the pub – just as Kat returns from hospital.
The feisty landlady was rushed to A&E hours after Tommy was born and is forced to deal with the same horror as Ronnie when she returns.
Meanwhile, devastated Ronnie realises that it is too late to swap the babies back.
Kirkwood admitted the shocking storyline would not have worked if actresses Samantha Janus, 38, and Jessie Wallace, 39, had not been totally behind it.
He said: “We are all very proud of these episodes.
“It’s one of the worst things that can happen but we’ve worked with the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death to make sure we got it right.
“Everyone working on the storyline was offered counselling because of what we were dealing with.”
As Ian’s life crumbles around him he is forced to make a shocking decision about his future.
While Shirley is taking small steps to deal with the loss of Heather she also does her best to help Dot, who is still struggling.
Phil and Ben do their best to convince Jay to come back home.