It’s set to be a life-or-death battle as EastEnders goes live in a special episode to celebrate its 40th anniversary on Thursday.

Things will be perilous for the residents of Albert Square following an explosion that will devastate the Queen Vic pub during Honey and Billy Mitchell’s (Emma Barton and Perry Fenwick) wedding celebrations this week.

As a fight to save those trapped inside begins on Wednesday’s one-hour special, details released for the live instalment the following day have revealed that the situation will get ‘worse and worse’ as the week draws to a cataclysmic conclusion.

Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) is set to be central to the drama when she goes into labour while still trapped in the disaster zone.

With no medical support on hand and only two traumatised people with her, will Sonia and her baby make it out of the ruins of the Vic alive?

The emergency services race against time to save the lives of the remaining residents who are still trapped inside and desperately trying to find a way out, as their anxious family and friends wait for news outside.

‘It’s going to be full on!’ Emma Barton, who plays Honey, said. ‘Dramatic, beautiful and sad. It’s a week of episodes not to be missed.’

And it seems at least one character will not make it out of the catastrophe, as drone photos taken from the set have revealed how floral tributes are left laying outside the Vic in the weeks ahead.

With Natalie Cassidy having revealed she is leaving the soap after 32 years, could it be Sonia who perishes? Or perhaps another fan theory could turn out to be true…?

The live episode will not be all danger and destruction, however, as Denise Fox (Diane Parish) will finally choose between lover Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) and ex-husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen).

Denise decides, you choose. How to vote

To access the vote, viewers must have a BBC Account. You can register for an account at BBC.co.uk/account, on or before February 19.

The vote will officially open at 8:30pm on  at BBC.co.uk/EastEnders. It will close at 7:10pm on Thursday February 20, so the result can be incorporated into the live episode, which will broadcast at 7:30pm from BBC Elstree Centre that very evening.

The results of a viewer vote to decide her fate will be played out by the actors in the episode, as one of Denise’s suitors gets a knock at the door that changes everything…

Scott Maslen, who plays Jack, says of the episode: ‘We’re all going to be buzzing during anniversary week and the live because the show is setting the bar really high like they always do, and it’ll be great fun. ‘