BBC EastEnders Sonia's baby's name meaning explained after poignant twist

EastEnders' 40th anniversary episodes have been nothing short of explosive, with the week-long celebrations concluding with an action-packed live episode on Thursday (20 February).

The episode was filled with drama, from the emotional death of Martin Fowler to Denise Fox's decision to pick Jack Branning. Another huge plot twist saw Sonia Fowler give birth in the crumbling Queen Vic, with Bianca Jackson and Lauren Branning by her side.

The emotional scenes eventually concluded with Sonia and her newborn daughter making it out of the Vic unscathed. Sonia also revealed her daughter's name to be Julia, after viewers were given the power to vote for the baby's moniker.

Two names were proposed; Julia and Toni. The two monikers were in tribute to EastEnders' original creators, Julia Smith and Tony Holland.

Julia was a producer while Tony was a script editor. The duo met in 1971 and began collaborating on projects including hospital drama Angels.

Then, in 1983, Tony and Julia were approached by the BBC about making a soap set in London. The duo got thinking and two years later EastEnders was created. They worked on the soap for four years before exiting after disagreements with BBC bosses over the fate of Den Watts.

Over the years, EE have made many references to both Julia and Tony. Fans of the soap will recognise a special, slow version of the iconic theme song, which is titled Julia's theme.

The music is named after Julia, who died of cancer in 1997. Tony passed away in 2007. The pair's names were also shown etched into a wall during the 2015 live week.

It remains to be seen what will happen to Sonia and baby Julia going forward, as it has been confirmed that actress Natalie Cassidy is exiting her role on the soap.

Speaking about what's ahead for her character, Natalie admitted: "That is down to the boss and the storyliners as the fate of Sonia is in their hands. I’ve had to take a deep breath, and go, 'I’ve made my decision, I’ve just got to let it play out'."

EastEnders airs Monday - Thursday on BBC One at 7.30pm. Episodes also land on iPlayer at 6am.