EastEnders plan positive baby-swap ending

'EastEnders' bosses are planning a "warm and tender" ending to their controversial baby-swap storyline.

The current plot - which saw heartbroken Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) swapping her dead, lifeless baby with Kat Moon's (Jessie Wallace) newborn tot - has attracted more than 8,400 complaints but show chiefs have now decided to end the story on a positive note to avoid causing further distress.

An insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "When Kat Moon is finally reunited with her son, the focus will be on her ¬happiness at ¬discovering the child she thought was dead is alive and well."

Yesterday (07.01.11), show boss Bryan Kirkwood confirmed reports that the storyline has been terminated earlier than planned, with the conclusion - showing Ronnie handing the baby back to Kat - be screened around Easter, instead of Christmas as had originally been scheduled.

He wrote on the show's official website: "Whenever we embark on a story at 'EastEnders', we always leave it open-ended to monitor and listen to audience reaction. With this in mind, we are going to bring the story to a close on screen in the spring.

"As the story progresses and Kat is reunited with her child, we hope to explore the impact of the tragic events that have befallen the characters in a way that is powerful, but true to the best public service tradition of the show."