EastEnders fans are thrilled by the announcement Ben Mitchell is returning for a very brief stint – but one thing has left them baffled.
It was confirmed yesterday after months of speculation that Max Bowden will reprise his role alongside Ricky Champ’s Stuart Highway for a dramatic set of episodes in the autumn.
A new picture showed the characters stood alongside Callum Highway (Tony Clay) and Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff), attending the funeral of Highway patriarch Jonno.
If mourning his homophobic and estranged father wasn’t bad enough for Callum, he’s also going to have to come face to face with his husband Ben, who he recently cheated on.
Sparks are flying between Callum and Johnny, and that’s only bound to continue once the latter returns from his holiday with mum Linda (Kellie Bright).
It’s only a temporary return for both Max and Ricky, though EastEnders has promised us plenty of turmoil.
It is Walford after all!
What are EastEnders fans saying about Ben’s comeback?
Given Ben is one of the show’s biggest legacy characters, continuing the Mitchell name into the next generation, fans are understandably pleased to have him back.
Metro reader Lynne Wylie chipped in: ‘This is the best news’, with @lasagneonmyshoe agreed: ‘Best news ever.’
They’re clearly a devoted Ballum fan, though, adding in parenthesis: ‘Apart from the Johnny nonsense of course.’
Laura thought that the snap of the four men dressed in their Sunday best was ‘such a great picture!’, before adding: ‘So excited for them to return.’
Matt Cooper said: ‘About time Ben was back, terrible decision to remove him.’
Despite the excitement, a lot of people had questions about just how BBC bosses would facilitate the return of a character who is seemingly behind bars on the other side of the world.
How will Ben return to EastEnders?
Honestly, we don’t know. Ben has been locked up in the States since last year.
Apparently he’s on day release to attend Jonno’s funeral, and while we’re not experts on the American legal system, it’s incredibly unlikely that he’d be shipped to the other side of the world to mourn his father-in-law.
But this is soapland, anything goes!
‘That’s a bit of a stretch isn’t it?’ laughed Dan on X, and he wasn’t alone.
‘I’m sure American prison are going to fly their prisoners over seas for a funeral,’ agreed JDLeigh.
Jake Meyers chipped in a facepalm emoji to say: ‘As if they’d let Ben attend. Sure, fly him half way across the world for his father in laws funeral, sounds about right…’
@takethe_highway offered a more reasonable explanation, saying: ‘He’s probably been transferred to a UK prison.
If that is the case, there’s a likelihood we may see him pop up again in future in the same way Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) and Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) have.
Ultimately, the biggest question on everybody’s lips is: ‘Who is Jonno?’
Luckily for you, we’ve got a refresher…
Who is Jonno in EastEnders?
Jonno, portrayed by Richard Graham, appeared in just four episodes in 2019. So that’s probably why you don’t remember him.
Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) – then engaged to Callum – reached out to him, unaware that he has abused both Callum and Stuart in their childhood.
Making himself out to be a changed man, his true colours soon shone through when he fought with Ben and used homophobic language, and then pinned Callum up against a wall.
Jonno was subsequently thrown out of Walford, and upon his return two months later, was surprised to hear that Callum’s wedding to Whit’ hadn’t gone ahead.
Callum came out as gay, and a disgusted Jonno accused Ben of turning his son ‘into one of them’.
Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) dealt a menacing punch, and Jonno threatened to go to the police. The punters in the Queen Vic, including Whitney, all decided to deny seeing Phil attack him.
He then left, disowning Callum as he departed.
