EastEnders came out on top for the soaps on Christmas Day this year, as the BBC One soap aired the dramatic exit scenes for Danny Dyer’s character Mick Carter.
The Queen Vic pub landlord saw his fate left on an ominous note in the hour-long post-watershed festive special, which saw the aftermath of Mick and Janine Butcher’s (Charlie Brooks) wedding.
The dramatic storyline gave the BBC soap the ratings boost to put it ahead of Emmerdale and Coronation Street for the first time in years.
For the first time since 2019, EastEnders was the top soap as it pulled in 3.17 million viewers overnight for the live viewing – up from last year’s 2.92 million figure for the Albert Square gang.
This figure will increase when the final ratings are consolidated and this number does not include online catch-up on BBC’s iPlayer.
Last night, Coronation Street had 2.85 million, while Emmerdale had 2.56 million.
In overall TV, EastEnders and Coronation Street were eighth and ninth most watched programmes of the day.
The Christmas Day episode saw high drama as the final showdown was pulled out to a cliff edge in Dover, as Janine, Linda and Mick faced off for a final time.
The pair came to blows and Janine soon fled in the car – but not before Linda managed to jump in beside her.
As chaos ensued at the wheel, the pair soared off a cliff into the Channel waters below in a jaw-dropping stunt that left the two women plummeting through the sea water.
Mick jumped in after them, saving pregnant Janine from the car, while Linda managed to escape to the shore herself, unbeknownst to Mick.
The last EastEnders fans saw of the Vic favourite was his murky figure diving back down into the depths of the water to save Linda – and never emerging.
Danny Dyer has since broken his silence after last night's dramatic Christmas Day episode, teasing fans Mick could still be alive.
The actor, 45, took to Instagram today from an exotic-looking beach, saying Mick's just 'having a rest'.
Sitting on a sun lounger in his swimming trunks, Danny said: “Don't worry, I know it was emotional last night. It was a very nutty episode, but don't be concerned because I f*****g made it.
“I mean it was a c*** of a swim, but let me tell you it was worth it. Mick needed a rest and a new chapter.”
