A legacy character returning to EastEnders without a massive shake-up is impossible to ignore, right? Well, fans, brace yourself as the next in line to return is the reformed bad boy Ben Mitchell. The iconic Mitchell son is currently locked up after he tried to save his late wife which caused his downfall.
However, actor Max Bowden has finally teased a highly anticipated comeback. He revealed one massive change to the character’s attitude that will completely shock fans. Keep scrolling to learn more.
Max Reflects On His Exhausting Exit From EastEnders
The exit originally happened when Ben Mitchell was engaged in a reckless international credit card scam while trying to seek alternative brain tumour treatments for Lola Pearce.
Unfortunately, this American crime led to his sudden extradition and a subsequent six-year prison sentence. Also, actor Max Bowden welcomed the extended break and admitted that filming nearly 600 heavy episodes across 5 years had left him and the production team exhausted.
However, when he stepped away from the demanding television cameras, it allowed him to focus on personal healing, mental stability, and fatherhood. Now, the actor has discussed what the iconic character might look like upon eventual release.
Max added, “I did nearly six hundred episodes in five years which is a hell of a lot, and it was time for a rest. The character was tired, I was tired, they [the producers] were probably tired of me being tired. From an honest perspective, I think yeah, a lot of it was that I needed to go for a bit. I needed to go work on me, get myself back to a place of really good mental health, focus on healing and also be a dad.”
Recent Prison Visits Change How The Character Views The Future
The path towards redemption accelerated during recent UK prison visits after his relationship with Callum Highway collapsed. Ben had learned last year that Callum had officially moved on with Johnny Carter. Later, Kathy Beale and Phil Mitchell visited an emotional Ben.
Soon, fans saw that the usual hyper-masculine family bravado Phil opened about his own past struggles with severe mental health battles and suicidal thoughts. Even Ben was inspired to confront his pain of abandonment and total helplessness.
Later, even Kathy provided him emotional reassurance and reminded him of a beautiful daughter who desperately requires a healthy parent. That’s when Ben decided to look forward to finishing the required sentence with an entirely renewed sense of long-term hope. For more EastEnders spoilers and updates keep following Soap Opera Daily.