
BBC bosses defended the new EastEnders set project, which ran over budget by more than £20 million, as the corporation faced scrutiny over the future of the licence fee.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie said that while the corporation is “not immune from competitive pressure”, he remains confident about its flagship soap opera following ITV’s announcement of new timings for Coronation Street and Emmerdale, which will see them go up against EastEnders in the schedules occasionally.