Rejoice! The Queen Vic pub has been saved in EastEnders, as confirmed in tonight’s episode.

As viewers of the BBC soap know, the boozer has been out of action since the big 40th anniversary week – which saw the residents gather for the wedding of Billy and Honey Mitchell (Perry Fenwick and Emma Barton).

In true Walford fashion, it wasn’t long before the event plunged into disaster!

Whilst everyone was toasting the happy couple, wicked Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) was trying to flee the area following an altercation with Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer).

Dodging Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) in the road, he crashed his car into The Vic’s barrel store and ignited a number of gas bottles.

With a number of locals trapped inside following a horrific explosion, it was a race against time to set people free.

A bath fell on top of Reiss, and then Martin Fowler (James Bye) was crushed by a beam.

Another big loss was the pub – the beating heart of the Albert Square community since the 1800s.

An explosion is seen tearing through the Queen Vic in EastEnders
An explosion tore through the pub last month (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

The combined Knight/Carter clan have not only lost their place of work, but also their home in the flat above.

However, in tonight’s episode, there was a breakthrough – and some much-needed good news for everyone.

Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), who has called The Vic home for the last 12 years, received a call from the insurance company to tell her that they would be paying out.

Hugging Elaine and George Knight (Harriet Thorpe and Colin Salmon), the three launched into the air in excitement.

She headed to the café to speak with George’s son Junior (Micah Balfour) about her plans for the refurb, noting that she has an eye for interior design and she didn’t want to change it much.

Whilst Junior relished in her elation, he wondered whether she had considered the rebuild first.

Kellie Bright as EastEnders' Linda Carter
Linda felt pushed out of the pub’s rebuilding (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

In walked Elaine and George, who revealed they had asked Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian) to take on the project. She also had her own ideas about how she wanted the bar to be styled, much to Linda’s annoyance.

Junior then told his dad that by assisting Teddy with the work, it would be his way of rebuilding their relationship in the wake of the jaw-dropping revelation that he’d been sleeping with his former-step mum Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins).

Thoroughly pushed out of the plans, Linda went off for her nail appointment with Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and vented her frustration.

Denise wondered whether Linda should rejoin the dating game, and her sister Kim (Tameka Empson) decided to play matchmaker. She showed Linda a picture of a single fella, but the interest wasn’t there.

Johnny Carter in EastEnders
She decided to set son Johnny up with barman Felix (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

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Despite that, the landlady was clearly left with food for thought when she headed to The Prince Albert for an afternoon refreshment.

Speaking with Felix Baker (Matthew James Morrison), she was inspired by Kim’s earlier proposal and set about matching him with her son Johnny (Charlie Suff).

Johnny arrived, there was some flirting, and Linda was left with a glimmer of hope.

Could something special come out of this?