How teenagers react to old EastEnders clips

EastEnders is turning 40 this month and is celebrating it's milestone anniversary in style! With a special hour-long episode to mark the big occasion on 19 February followed by a live episode the next day! Something BIG is bound to happen in Walford…doof, doof, doof!

The fashion, hair styles and tech might have changed in the last four decades, but some things have stayed the same, like relationships and emotions. We thought we'd played some clips from the show's history to some teenagers to get their reactions, and of course we've got some useful advice too!

Michelle Fowler's results day – 1986

This clip of Michelle Fowler receiving her exam results is from August 1986. It's so old that Michelle was studying for CSEs, which at the time were marked one to five. One was the highest grade, so Michelle actually did pretty well in most subjects, despite not passing maths. It's important to look after your wellbeing on results day, and part of this is thinking about who you want to receive your results with. Michelle chose to receive her results with her family, Dr Radha advises to choose calm, kind and supportive people who you feel comfortable with.

If you don't receive the grades that you expect on results day, then you can find information on your next steps here. According to Dr Radha, the most important thing is that you let an adult you trust know how you're feeling so they can help and support you. Dr Radha also spoke to us about how to cope with disappointment, saying that, "Nothing is ever a 'failure' if it doesn't work out the way we want it to. It is actually an opportunity to move and develop in a new and potentially exciting way."

Ian Beale asks Sharon out – 1986

Back to the 80s with our next clip, which see's EastEnders legend Ian Beale ask Sharon Watts out on a date. The teens who watched this clip were surprised than Ian had the confidence to ask Sharon out. We spoke to confidence expert Tiwalola Ogunlesi, who told us that fear is one of the biggest confidence killers and is simply a negative thought of something in the future that hasn’t even happened yet. You can find some confidence boosting tips from Tiwalola here.

Iain Beale has been through his fair share of relationships in his 40 years on The Square. When it comes to relationships, whether that be with friends, family members or romantic partners, we need to make sure that they are healthy and positive. Being honest and communicating with each other is a good place to start. You can find out more advice on healthy relationships and some tips on being authentically you while in a relationship here.

Martin and Bex's exam stress – 2019

This clip is from 2019 and features Martin Fowler and his daughter Bex talking about revision and how she is feeling stressed about her upcoming exams. Martin suggests exercising, which Bex dismisses as she is too busy, but did you know that exercise can actually help you with revision?

If you are struggling to fit exercise in alongside your revision, then try to build physical activity into things you already do. Any activities that get your heart-rate up are good for you, so even tidying your room or playing with a pet will count as exercise if you do it with enough energy!

If you are feeling stressed about scheduling revision for any upcoming exams, then you should think about creating a revision timetable. Not only does a good timetable allow for revision of those essential topics, but it also leaves space to do those stress-busting activities like exercise or hanging out with friends.

Barry's 'brick' phone – 1997

Technology has come a long way since the 'brick' phones from our final clip in which Pat Butcher, famed for her glam earrings, firmly states that "they should ban them things". Banning phones is a debate that seems to span the decades, with our friends at Other Side Of The Story recently looking at some of the arguments for and against banning mobile phones in UK schools.

Phones are now much more than a device to just make calls from, but if you want to go back to basics and have a bit of a digital detox, why not consider a dumb phone? When creator, Ami Charlize, spoke to Dr Radha as part of her World of Wellbeing podcast, they spoke about how important a digital detox could be for self-care. Radha said, "turning your phone off or just completely not looking at social media for a while can actually really help us". You can listen to the World of Wellbeing podcasts here.

If you need support

You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.

If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are more links to helpful organisations on BBC Action Line.