Where’s the Queen Vic gone?! Old EastEnders set is finally demolished as iconic buildings are knocked down – a year after moving to new £87m set amid ‘plans to expand Walford’
The old EastEnders set has finally been demolished more than a year after the BBC soap opera moved to its brand new £87million set.
Filming began on the brand new set, which is located just a stone’s throw from the old location at the BBC’s Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, back in January 2022.
Now, brand new aerial photographs have shown the old set has been demolished, leaving a derelict piece of land sitting unused in its place.
The iconic Queen Vic has been completely torn down, but the outline of the original Albert Square can still be seen as a few recognisable buildings remain standing.
Beale’s Plaice, the Prince Albert bar, the betting shop and the chemist are the final few buildings left, while the now-overgrown shrubbery in Albert Square still remains.
Before and after: The old EastEnders set has finally been demolished more than a year after the BBC soap opera moved to its brand new £87million set
Changes: Filming began on the brand new set, which is located just a stone’s throw from the old location at the BBC’s Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, back in January 2022
The rest of the set, which was built in 1984 ahead of the show’s very first episode, is now a barren piece of land and is yet to be used for anything else.
It was recently reported that the BBC soap are planning to transform the old set into a shipping container area to support filming in plans to expand Walford.
Despite the fact that the soap opera had only intended to use the original set for two years, it was the home of EastEnders for an impressive 37 years of filming.
The aerial pictures also show the flash new set located just a mere walk from the old site, with the new Queen Vic pub and Albert Square all built in a near-identical setup.
The £87million 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.
Barren: Now, brand new aerial photographs have shown the old set has finally been demolished, leaving a derelict piece of land sitting unused in its place
Still standing: The iconic Queen Vic has been completely torn down, but the outline of the original Albert Square can still be seen as a few recognisable buildings remain standing
Bare: Beale’s Plaice, the Prince Albert bar, the betting shop and the chemist are the final few buildings left, while the now-overgrown shrubbery in Albert Square still remains
Demolished! The rest of the set, which was built for the show’s first episode in 1984, is now a barren piece of land and is yet to be used for anything else
It’s gone! Despite the fact that the soap opera had only intended to use the original set for two years, it was the home of EastEnders for an impressive 37 years of filming
Transformation? It was recently reported that the BBC soap are planning to transform the old set into a shipping container area to support filming in plans to expand Walford
Close: The old set (left) is extremely close to the flash new set (right), where all the iconic buildings and locations were rebuilt in a huge project
The BBC soap is planning to add three brand new sets, according to planning documents obtained by The Sun.
In the proposals, there is a new large warehouse set, a collection of shops and houses and an area with nine shipping containers where the old Albert Square used to be, the publication claimed.
The allotment and park areas are also reportedly set to be expanded, giving more outdoor green space for filming and to reduce the need for off-site filming.
A source said: ‘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.’
When contacted by MailOnline at the time, a BBC spokesperson said: ‘These plans are part of the continued redevelopment of the Elstree site and sit within the existing budget as set out in 2018.’
The new development forms part of BBC’s £87 million budget set out in 2018, which was part of an investment in the wider BBC Elstree Centre site.
New look: The aerial pictures also show the flash new set located just a mere walk from the old site, with the new Queen Vic pub and Albert Square all built in a near-identical layout
Big prokect: The new £87million set was finally completed in 2022 after five years of work hampered by the coronavirus pandemic and backlash over soaring costs
Expansion? Now, EastEnders bosses are reportedly planning to expand Walford even further and create dozens more filming locations for the beloved soap opera
Big plans: Earlier this year, it was claimed that bosses have huge multi-million pound plans to expand their set with a new backlot
More sets to come? The BBC soap is planning to add three brand new sets, according to planning documents obtained by The Sun
Expansion: The allotment and park areas are also reportedly set to be expanded, giving more outdoor green space for filming and to reduce the need for off-site filming
Exciting: With the new set, EastEnders production are now able to explore new areas on screen and writers, producers and directors have greater freedom to drive further creativity
Filming: With the new set, EastEnders production are now able to explore new areas on screen (pictured: Aaron Thiara filming as Ravi Gulari and Diane Parish as Denise Fox)
It includes the addition of new site boilers and electrical plants along with upgraded central facilities to house them.
EastEnders production are now able to explore new areas on screen and writers, producers and directors have greater freedom to drive further creativity.
Back in 2018, the BBC was accused of ‘outrageously overspending’ licence fee cash after it emerged that EastEnders’ new set would cost £86.7million.
That was £27million over the original budget – and the project was expected to be nearly five years late.
The BBC was accused of ‘complacency’ over the astonishing £87million bill for its new EastEnders set in March 2020.
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