EastEnders legend John Altman says the soap is losing viewers because it has lost the ability to tell new stories or break new ground.
The 69-year-old actor played Albert Square villain Nick Cotton on and off for two decades between 1985 and 2015 and thinks most of the big shocking storylines have been done.
He said: “EastEnders had dramatic divorces, drugs, it opened with a murder.
"It also had different cultures, different races, I don’t know if there had been any Asians or Afro-Caribbean characters in a soap before, EastEnders may have been the first for that.
"It also had the first gay couple, played by Gary Hailes and Michael Cashman. "
He also thinks it would be a “good idea” if the soap became available to binge watch like shows on Netflix.
When asked if EastEnders will have to move to a Netflix format, John said: “That could be a good idea, I’ve never thought about it like that.
"We used to have the omnibus on a Sunday, that was a good. It was good for us too because we used to get 80 per cent of our wages, without ever getting out of bed!”
John’s comments echo those of fellow EastEnders star Shaun Williamson who also believes that if the BBC One show is to carry on then it will have to follow the model set by streaming services like Netflix and Amazon.
John’s comments echo those of fellow EastEnders star Shaun Williamson who also believes that if the BBC One show is to carry on then it will have to follow the model set by streaming services like Netflix and Amazon.
Shaun - who played hapless car salesman Barry Evans – previously told the Mirror: “They’ve got to be careful. Now, you can download The Crown and watch one series in a day."
He added: "You’ve got Netflix doing these incredible things so there’s so much more competition.”
Asked if EastEnders should revert to a similar model, he said: “I think that’s inevitable, I think the BBC will change because everything is changing.
"We’ll get to the stage where you will get the choice to buy BBC Radio 2. I’m talking 20 years down the line.”
*EastEnders continues on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One, with previous episodes available on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
