Santer "really proud" of 'Enders changes

EastEnders' executive producer Diederick Santer has expressed his pride over how the BBC soap has changed since he took the helm three years ago.

Speaking in an interview with DS, the departing Walford boss argued that there had been significant improvements since 2006, though he insisted that he is not solely responsible for them.

Reflecting on his stint in charge of the long-running programme, Santer revealed: "I'm really proud because I think we've achieved such a lot. I always say that it's the team's achievement, not just mine, and my team have made it very easy."

He continued: "The show is run much more efficiently than it was three or four years ago. Not everything's perfect, but I certainly think that our hit rate is good. We have an incredible cast and amazing bunch of characters. We also reflect London, and Britain better.

"One problem we do have, though, is that we have too many good characters vying for space in the show. The consequence of that is that sometimes, certain stories or characters can get squeezed. It's a nice problem to have, but that has been one downside of our strength."

Santer went on to name 2008's paedophile plot involving Tony King (Chris Coghill), Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) and Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) as one of the show's recent high points, pointing out that the storyline's climax had received a "great response".

He continued: "That was a great day for us. We realised that we'd tackled this issue in the way that we'd planned.

"Another slower-burn achievement for me has been the creation of the Masoods. That's something that I'm so proud of. They're a beautifully played and characterised Asian family - something that EastEnders has struggled to do over the years and we've nailed it."

In November, Santer announced that he is to step down as the soap's executive producer following its forthcoming 25th anniversary. He will be replaced by former Hollyoaks boss Bryan Kirkwood.

> Click here to read our interview with Diederick Santer