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EastEnders viewers were left amused when the BBC soap unexpectedly shared a tribute to Neighbours.
The Aussie soap, which began in 1985 like EastEnders, concluded for a second time last year after a run on Amazon Prime Video.
Despite the two shows existing in very different worlds, Tuesday’s (May 5) episode of EastEnders featured a nod to Neighbours.
It happened as Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) and Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorp) spoke at a community campaign event for local elections.
Oscar Branning secretly swapped Ian’s speech with a ‘funnier’ one, leaving the soap stalwart flustered in the process.
In his panic, Ian began quoting lines from Neighbours’ iconic theme tune as the audience giggled on.
EastEnders fans were left ‘cackling’ after the show’s unexpected reference to axed Aussie soap Neighbours on Tuesday’s episode featuring Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt)
Neighbours, which began in 1985 like EastEnders, concluded for a second time last year after a run on Amazon Prime Video
The moment took place as Ian and Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorp) spoke at a community campaign event for local elections (pictured with Alfie Moon, played by Shane Richie)
He said: ‘I mean, we’re all friends and neighbours. And let’s face it, we all need good neighbours. And with a little understanding, you can find the…’
‘Landing!’, as Alfie Moon soon chimed in to complete the familiar sentence.
One viewer wrote on X: ”That Ian Beale shoutout about “good neighbours…”
‘I have always loved the way #Eastenders and #Neighbours started a month apart and have co-existed alongside each other for 40 years.’
Another penned: ‘I was not prepared for the direction this speech took. Cackling #EastEnders.’
A third remarked: ‘#EastEnders love a good Neighbours mention every now and then #Neighbours.’
A fourth agreed: ‘I did like that shoutout to #Neighbours in today’s #EastEnders. But is #Neighbours a tv show in Walford and that’s why everybody laughed?’
A fifth commented: ‘Always enjoy a #Neighbours s/o on #EastEnders…’
The soap’s fans were left stunned earlier this week after spotting a former Walford resident making a surprise appearance in hit US medical drama The Pitt.
Actor Zack Morris, 27, who played Keegan Baker in EastEnders from 2017-2022, made his debut as patient Jackson Davis in the HBO show’s second season.
His law student character was brought into the emergency room after an outburst led to him being diagnosed with Schizophrenia.
EastEnders fans went wild after realising it was in fact British born soap star Zack on screen with an impressive American accent.
One fan shared a clip of him in one scene to TikTok with the caption: ‘being a British The Pitt fan means recognised random EastEnders actors in the show.
They said: ‘I THOUGHT I WAS TRIPPING OMG I’m so glad someone else caught this’: ‘I was like KEEGAN?!!! The most niche crossover ever’
‘Zottu I was just as surprised as u when i saw Keegan pop up on the show!!! I guess their acting is starting to take off now since they are landing roles in big shows!!!’.
This is not the first US role for Zack who also appeared in Netflix’s Goosebumps and adventure movie The Bluff opposite Priyanka Chopra.
EastEnders airs on BBC One and iPlayer.
