Improving Eastenders

Looking through Love Thy Neighbour on Wikipaedia and one thing struck me as odd, they should get Jack Smethurst in Eastenders, possibly as Patricks neighbour. Not only would it be both Eastenders and Love Thy Neighbour at the same time, but they would be neighbours in both shows. Nowadays he couldn't be a bigot, but it would be cool nonetheless and they had the Equalizer before he carked it.