EastEnders made a topical reference to the General Election in Thursday's episode – but viewers were quick to spot a mistake in a scene between Kathy Beale and her daughter-in-law Jane Beale. Kathy was seen picking up her polling card as Jane asks her who she is going to vote for. Kathy then replies: "My way, the same way I voted last time. Same for you is it?" However, fans were quick to point out that Kathy was presumed dead at the time of the summer 2015 election.
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The character – played by Gillian Taylforth – dramatically returned to the soap in February 2015, when it was revealed that she and her husband Gavin had faked their own deaths in 2006 in an insurance scam. It makes it highly unlikely that she would have been able to vote in the election, given that the authorities had her listed as deceased.
EastEnders viewers spotted a mistake in a scene between Jane and Kathy Beale
One viewer tweeted: "Kathy Beale just said she's voting same as she did last time in EastEnders. She was dead the last time, so how?..." Another asked: "Sorry but how did Kathy vote last time if she was 'dead' in South Africa?" A third added: "Oh EastEnders, that scene about voting was so cringe, why do they even bother putting it in?"
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But EastEnders bosses have said viewers have misinterpreted Kathy's statement, insisting she was referring to an election prior to the 2015 vote. A rep for the BBC soap told the Sun: "At no point did Kathy say she voted in the last election. Kathy is in her 60s so she will have voted many times during her life."