A gay bar is to open on Albert Square to reflect the diversity of London, the new executive producer of EastEnders has said.
Kate Oates recently joined the show from Coronation Street and she said she has big plans to champion diversity.
In a video posted on the EastEnders Twitter page, she said: “I am really interested in bringing some more LGBTQ characters in, and maybe we will have a new precinct for them as well.
You asked the questions. Kate Oates, our new Senior Executive Producer, provided the answers. Enjoy a taste of what lies ahead in Walford for 2019! #AskKateOates #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/krKruPIQVF
— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) January 1, 2019
“We are looking at opening a gay bar on the square which will be a super-cool precinct where gay and straight characters can all just hang out and loads of stories can cross and should just be something really exciting, really fun, really visual and feel really true to multicultural London.
“Hopefully that will be something exciting for the next year.”
Oates also teased the return of some well-known characters, but would not reveal their identities.
She said: “There is one coming back in spring that I am really excited about, it’s going to be for a fairly short stint but I think it’s going to have a really big impact.”
She also promised there will be a long-running saga with the Mitchell family, as well as a significant challenge for Jean Slater.