Episode 5408

Episode 5408 of the BBC soap opera EastEnders aired on 24 December 2016 at 8:25pm. One of the main plots revolved around the closing of the Walford launderette, which had featured since EastEnders first episodes in 1985, and the forced retirement of its worker Dot Cotton (June Brown). The move was described as being the end of an era by critics. In the episode, Dot is upset when nobody attends the party to mark the launderette's closing. The episode also featured the unannounced guest return of former character Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison), whose voice is heard in a tape that Dot finds; the archived recordings of other former characters also appear in the episode. The episode also started the exit storyline of Linda Carter, whose portrayer Kellie Bright went on maternity leave. Additionally, the episode also featured the debut of Jenna Russell as Michelle Fowler, an original EastEnders character who had departed in 1995. Michelle's original portrayer, Susan Tully, had refused to return, so producer Sean O'Connor decided to recast the role. Critics believed that viewers could be disappointed by the recast and called Dot's storyline emotional, expressing sympathy for the character. Critics also noted that singer George Michael died hours after the episode's broadcast, which featured Heather – who was characterised as being his biggest fan – referencing the singer and his song Last Christmas. Other plots included Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) isolating himself from his family, the final night of the Walford Christmas play and Stacey Slater's (Lacey Turner) turkey being ruined.