Inside BBC EastEnders’ old abandoned set as fans rage ‘we pay for this!’
EASTENDERS’ old set was finally demolished as brand new aerial photographs show the derelict piece of land leaving fans fuming.
The iconic buildings from 1984 were knocked down a year after the BBC soap moved to the new £87 million set, amid plans to expand Walford.
Filming began on the brand new set back in January 2022.
It is located just a short way from the old location at the BBC’s Elstree Centre in Borehamwood.
Even though the Queen Vic has been completely scrapped, the outline of the original Albert Square can still be seen as well as a few recognisable buildings.
But fans were left fuming that it is now a barren piece of land and is yet to be used for anything else.
And despite paying taxes, the public aren’t allowed to even tour on the old set.
Taking to Twitter, one wrote: “We essentially pay for this and we can’t get a public tour. Absurd.”
Photographs of the new set see the new Queen Vic pub and Albert Square all built in a near-identical setup.
The £87 million set was completed in 2022 after five years of work hampered by the coronavirus pandemic and backlash over soaring costs, with the project originally intended for completion in August 2018.
Now, EastEnders bosses are reportedly planning to expand Walford even further and create dozens more filming locations for the beloved soap opera.
Earlier this year, it was claimed that bosses have huge multi-million pound plans to expand their set with a new backlot.
Walford bosses are hoping to add three new sets to the backlot – where the old Albert Square was.
They are planning on putting in a huge warehouse set, a parade of shops and houses and an area with nine shipping containers that will vastly expand the soap’s filming locations.
A source exclusively told The Sun: “Bosses don’t want the old set to go to waste when there’s so much that can be done with it for Walford.
“It’s going to open up the soap’s world even more for more drama and more high-stakes storylines.
“Corrie and Emmerdale both have huge sets and expansions and with this there’s no danger EastEnders will be left behind.”