BBC/Composite: EastEnders Insider Share Add as preferred source on Google Add as preferred source on Google By Claire Crick 5 May 2026, 13:05 By Claire Crick 5 May 2026, 13:05 'That was amazing!' Fans go wild as EastEnders pays an unexpected tribute to another iconic soap EastEnders aired a rare soap moment in today's episode... Elaine Peacock Ian Beale Share Add as preferred source on Google Add as preferred source on Google By Claire Crick 5 May 2026, 13:05 By Claire Crick 5 May 2026, 13:05 WARNING: This article is full of spoilers for today’s EastEnders episode, which is streaming on BBC iPlayer now but has not yet aired on BBC One, and sees a tribute to iconic soap, Neighbours. Eagle-eyed EastEnders fans have spotted a rare moment in today’s episode where Ian Beale talked about another soap. Soap crossovers don’t happen every often in soapland, but today’s episode of EastEnders sees Ian quoting lines from the Neighbours theme tune, and fans can’t get enough of the iconic moment. Ian and Elaine go head-to-head at the council elections (Credit: BBC) EastEnders: Ian quotes the Neighbours theme tune The hilarious scene comes when Ian and Elaine are at a community campaign event for the local council elections. Despite having prepared his speech for the occasion, which he has printed out and even laminated, Oscar is adamant that it needs to be funnier. Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers So while Ian isn’t looking, Oscar swaps his speech for one that he has edited and then laminated again. However, it is only when Ian gets on stage to convince people to vote for him that he realises Oscar has tampered with his speech. Flustered and now unprepared, Ian panics and starts quoting lines from the Neighbours theme tune. He tells everyone that they are all Neighbours, and that with a little understanding, they can find the perfect blend! As Ian quotes the iconic Australian soap, his friends and family all get the giggles, recognising what he is doing.Don't miss a single story! Add us as a Preferred Source in Google for all your EastEnders newsIt's important to us that you never miss our articles when searching for stories! We have all the latest TV news & schedules to share with our community of loyal readers. Click here and tick TVGuide.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search. Soon, poor Ian is a laughing stock, and Elaine has to step in and try to save the moment. Ian is grateful, and the rest of the event goes well. However, Ian is furious with Oscar for ruining his big moment. Later, at Jimmy’s first birthday party, Ian lays into Oscar, who is still adamant that he made the speech better. Ian gets flustered and starts quoting the Neighbours theme tune! (Credit: BBC) Ian plays dirty After reading comments online about him, Ian is deflated. However, Bea has a plan up her sleeve to save the day and get him more votes. She has prepared a smear campaign against Elaine, painting her in a very bad light. She is desperate to put it online to sway people from voting for Elaine and towards voting for Ian. At first, Ian isn’t interested in dirty tactics, especially as he and Elaine have called something of a truce in recent weeks. However, after today’s dramas, he knows he needs to do something drastic if he wants to win. Ian eventually tells Bea to post the video. But tomorrow, all hell breaks loose when the video goes viral. Lauren couldn’t believe Ian was quoting Neighbours (Credit: BBC) EastEnders fans can’t get enough of the nod to Neighbours However, fans weren’t bothered about Ian cheating to get votes, and instead were obsessing over the hilarious Neighbours theme tune moment. They took to social media to share their joy… “Oh my god, what a tribute to Neighbours! Ha! That was brilliant,” said one fan on Reddit. while someone else said: “Um, did Ian just recite part of the old Neighbours theme tune? Amazing!” Another viewer pointed out that it was everyone else’s reaction to Ian’s Neighbours moment that made it so hilarious. “The best thing about that debate scene was Lauren’s reaction to Ian reciting the Neighbours theme lyrics. Jac Jossa really does have perfect comic timing!” Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns Share Add as preferred source on Google Add as preferred source on Google Good to Know Share Add as preferred source on Google Add as preferred source on Google By Claire Crick 5 May 2026, 13:05 By Claire Crick 5 May 2026, 13:05 Previous Story Next Story
