EastEnders fans face a familiar frustration as the BBC soap is bumped from its Monday, June 9, 2025, 7:30pm slot on BBC One to make way for football, with live coverage of the 2026 World Cup qualifier between Belgium and Wales airing until 10pm, per Radio Times. The show returns Tuesday through Friday at 7:30pm, with episodes already available on BBC iPlayer, as announced on the official EastEnders X account: “No episode tonight, but don’t despair—you can watch now!” The schedule shift coincides with explosive new storylines, including Elaine Peacock’s fury at George Knight and Kat Slater’s heartbreak over Alfie Moon, ensuring Walford’s drama is worth the wait.

Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) is livid after learning George Knight (Colin Salmon) aided his ex-wife Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) with her Prince Albert bar relaunch. Desperate to mend things, George faces a bombshell when Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) reveals George spent Christmas evening with his mother, Sabrina. George confesses Sabrina tried to kiss him but insists he rebuffed her. Enraged, Elaine throws him out, only to be mortified when he seeks solace from Cindy, per Metro. Fans on X are buzzing, with one posting, “Elaine deserves better! George and Cindy are trouble #EastEnders.”

Meanwhile, Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) reels from finding adult content on Alfie Moon’s (Shane Richie) laptop, confiding in Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) that she fears Alfie’s turned to pornography post-cancer treatment. Hoping to rekindle their spark, Alfie plans a romantic dinner, but Kat’s seduction attempt backfires when he hesitates, leaving her humiliated. She storms out, deepening their rift ahead of their wedding, per Digital Spy. “Kat and Alfie can’t catch a break,” an X user lamented, hinting at Tommy Moon’s role in the laptop mishap, to be revealed later.