'Enders stars threaten to snub Xmas party

EastEnders stars have threatened not to attend the show's Christmas party this year because bosses have told them that they must pay for their partners to come along.

The cast and crew were sent invites saying that they would have to pay £30 for tickets for their guests to attend the low-key do.

Former stars such as Joel Beckett, who played Jake Moon in the soap, were also told that they would have to buy a ticket if they wanted to attend.

A source said: "It’s mean to charge for our loved ones - completely bah humbug. We don’t go anywhere fancy. It’s usually just warm beer and karaoke."

The annual Christmas celebrations usually attract all of the stars from the show, which won 'Most Popular Serial Drama' at the National TV Awards for the third consecutive year last month. But many of the actors, including Cliff Parisi (Minty Peterson), have complained to the show's executives.

The move comes at the same time as the BBC has been forced to axe 3,000 jobs to save on costs.

A spokesperson for EastEnders said: "We wouldn’t pay for partners out of licence fee-payers cash."