BBC targets EastEnders in £500m cost cuts

The BBC is apparently considering reducing EastEnders from four episodes a week to three as part of a wider £500 million cost-saving programme.

• EastEnders currently costs around £29.9 million a year to produce.
• The soap airs approximately 212 episodes annually, costing about £141,000 per episode.
• BBC figures suggest the programme costs around 3.5p per viewer hour.
• The broadcaster is looking for savings amid ongoing financial pressures and funding challenges.
• The move would mark one of the biggest scheduling changes in the show’s 41-year history.

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The BBC is reportedly considering cutting EastEnders to three episodes a week as part of a major £500 million savings plan aimed at reducing costs across the corporation, wheretowatch.tv understands.

The long-running soap could see its weekly output reduced from four episodes to three as BBC executives examine ways to streamline spending while protecting its flagship programmes.

EastEnders remains one of the broadcaster’s most recognisable brands but is also a significant investment. The soap costs approximately £29.9 million a year to produce and broadcasts around 212 episodes annually, equating to roughly £141,000 per episode.

However, BBC figures indicate the programme still delivers strong value for money, costing the corporation around 3.5p per viewer hour.

Cutting one episode a week could save a massive £7.3 million per year.

A substantial portion of the show’s annual budget is spent on talent and production. It’s reported that around £6.9 million goes towards actors’ salaries, extras and chaperones, while approximately £2.9 million is allocated to scriptwriting and story development. Cast members are understood to earn between £400 and more than £3,000 per episode, depending on their role and experience.

Beyond day-to-day production costs, EastEnders has also been impacted by the expensive redevelopment of its famous Walford set at the BBC’s Elstree studios. The project, which delivered a new high-definition-ready exterior set including a permanent brick-built Queen Victoria pub, ultimately cost a massive £87 million.

The redevelopment was completed several years behind schedule and finished around £27 million over budget, attracting criticism from MPs and licence fee payers when details emerged.

Supporters of the programme argue that EastEnders continues to attract millions of viewers each week across BBC One and BBC iPlayer and remains one of the corporation’s most valuable drama brands. Critics, however, have questioned whether maintaining four weekly episodes remains necessary at a time when audiences increasingly watch content on demand. EastEnders currently averages around 1.8 – 3.5million viewers per episode.

The BBC has not confirmed any plans to reduce the number of EastEnders episodes, but reports suggest all major spending areas are being reviewed as the broadcaster seeks to deliver £500 million in savings over the coming years.

The move would align with ITV’s recent changes to its soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street. The network has reduced its talent costs and taken on more freelance staff behind the scenes. Starting in 2026, both shows transitioned to airing only five 30-minute episodes per week, cutting a combined one hour of original soap content from the weekly schedule. The broadcaster’s move to reduce weekly output from six to five episodes per soap was part of a targeted £15 million budget reduction.

If the changes to EastEnders are implemented, the reduction would represent one of the most significant changes in the soaps history since the soap launched in 1985, potentially reshaping the way one of Britain’s most famous television programmes is produced and scheduled.