EastEnders icon lands brand new TV special on the BBC this Christmas

EASTENDERS fable lands a festive TV peculiar connected BBC this Christmas, promising plentifulness of vacation cheer and nostalgia for fans of the soap star.

The BBC's heartwarming documentary bid My Life astatine Christmas is backmost for a 3rd twelvemonth moving with EastEnders star Rudolph Walker.

The 3 portion bid volition beryllium hosted by Countryfile and Woman’s Hour presenter Anita Rani.

In each episode, Anita volition speech to a well-known impermanent to observe what makes Christmas special for them.

And however it’s been a marker for memorable moments successful their careers, household beingness and faith.

Other guests this twelvemonth see different 1 of Britain’s best-loved actors Dame Sheila Hancock, and besides TV property and podcaster Spencer Matthews.

Rudolph, 85, is 1 of EastEnders’ astir adored stars.

The seasoned histrion has played Patrick Trueman successful the BBC soap since 2001.

However, the prima precocious hit retired astatine EastEnders bosses erstwhile helium was near retired of a publication commissioned by the BBC to people the show’s 20th anniversary.

And helium was incensed the work featured hardly immoderate achromatic characters.

Rudolph revealed the concealed contention enactment successful his caller autobiography.

An “angry” BBC workfellow had told him astir the book.

Co-stars Adam Woodyatt and Shane Richie — aka Ian Beale and Alfie Moon — told him it should person been “withdrawn and reprinted”, helium said.

Rudolph demanded an mentation from showrunner John Yorke.

He wrote: “I had to person a gathering with him to explicit my full disgust astatine the mode they conducted their printing/publicity/PR business.”

Rudolph was told characters with salient storylines astatine the clip of printing successful 2005 got greater sum successful the book.

This again rattled him, arsenic a caller household The Millers, who had not adjacent appeared connected surface yet, were featured — including their dog.

Despite his on-screen sons Paul (Gary Beadle) and Anthony (Nick Bailey) being pictured connected the cover, determination was small notation of them either.

He said, successful his publication Walking With Dignity: “By the extremity of 2004, I had appeared successful 300 episodes implicit 3 years and successful 2004 had 8 ‘doof doofs’ [the dependable effect marking the end-of-episode climax].

"The lack successful the publication of 1 of the archetypal achromatic families successful the Square — contempt their tiny photos, determination were scant references wrong to Gary Beale and Nick Bailey either — caused galore eyebrows to beryllium raised and questions asked.”

He added: “My representation was obscurity to beryllium found.”

Thankfully, Rudolph sorted retired his differences with bosses — who blamed an “independent editor” for the deficiency of achromatic stars — and helium remained connected the soap, wherever helium has racked up much than 23 years of service.

Despite the publication blip, helium praised EastEnders for continuing to see “characters from divers taste backgrounds”.

He hailed the casting of achromatic actor Colin Salmon as Queen Vic landlord George Knight, thing helium says “wouldn’t person been entertained a fewer years ago”.

Meanwhile, the BBC volition showcase a vibrant scope of festive programming crossed tv this Christmas.

This volition see unrecorded worship, philharmonic celebration, accepted carols and spiritual contemplation.

BBC One Christmas religion programming continues with Midnight Mass, broadcast unrecorded from St Mary’s Church, Warwick.

On Christmas Morning the wonderment and joyousness of the Nativity volition beryllium celebrated unrecorded from the historical splendour of Halifax Minster.

In the evening, Kate Garraway narrates the communicative of the archetypal Christmas arsenic the time draws to a close.

My Life astatine Christmas airs connected Sunday 8 December on BBC One and is disposable connected BBC iPlayer.