A special documentary celebrating EastEnders' 40th anniversary aired on the BBC last night (Monday, February 17) which caused some fans to be quite "emotional".

EastEnders: 40 Years On The Square, hosted by Ross Kemp, was shown at 8pm on BBC One on Monday.

It is part of a raft of content that will be airing to mark the soap's 40th anniversary, which started all the way back in 1985.

Part of this will include an hour-long special on Wednesday, February 19 and a live episode on Thursday, February 20.

The live episode is “set to change Walford, and the lives of those who live in it forever”.

Kemp himself returned to EastEnders last week after an absence of 10 years along with several other iconic characters from the past.

He sat down with several iconic stars from the soap for the documentary, including Adam Woodyatt, Gillian Taylforth, Letitia Dean and Jessie Wallace.

In a synopsis on the BBC website it shares: "In this special documentary, Ross takes viewers on a nostalgic journey through Albert Square’s rich 40-year history, reconnecting with cast to reflect on the enduring impact of the show."

It added: "Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, candid interviews and heartfelt memories, the film offers an intimate look at how EastEnders became a national institution."

EastEnders fans 'emotional' after watching 40th anniversary documentary

Plenty of EastEnders fans tuned in to watch 40 Years On The Square and found the experience to be quite bittersweet.

Posting on X (formerly known as Twitter) one person wrote: "watching the #Eastenders 40 years on the square is making me so emotional seeing how many past characters we've lost".

Another said: "Loved that walk down memory lane of 40 Years on the Square. We say it at every anniversary but, there really has been so many memorable characters, moments, stories and catchphrases over the years."

A third shared: "Catching up on tonight’s #EastEnders plus the documentary after.

"You’ve got to give them credit they know how to celebrate an anniversary all the little extra touches celebrating the past incredible so excited to see what the rest of the week brings."

Meanwhile, another posted: "Fab documentary, perfectly captured those characters and stories that have made Eastenders fantastic and groundbreaking for forty years."

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A lot of people loved the nostalgia the documentary celebrated, as another said: "Loved the #EastEnders at 40 documentary! Great to see some old cast members back too. I watched the very first episode when I was 15 and got into it straight away."

Many enjoyed their time with it, as one shared: "I’ll have to finish this tonight but #Eastenders @ 40 is a brilliant documentary and honestly the best way to pay tribute to this show, its cast and crew. So proud of them and Ross Kemp was the perfect host. Well done."

EastEnders: 40 Years on the Square is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.