Overview
- The 30-minute special airs on BBC One at 7:30pm on 1 January 2026, with the BBC confirming there will be no early release on iPlayer.
- The episode jumps exactly one year to New Year’s Day 2027 and centers on Max Branning tying the knot for the fifth time.
- The bride’s identity remains a secret, with cast members including Jake Wood and Jacqueline Jossa saying they have not been told.
- Executive producer Ben Wadey teases major twists and warns that “things are not as they seem,” with answers set to land steadily throughout 2026.
- Production has locked character looks and mapped key story ‘tent poles’ to preserve continuity, as the Branning family’s New Year events, including baby Jimmy’s christening, feed into the year ahead alongside trials, new arrivals and revenge plots.