EastEnders' Ben Mitchell to return played by yet another new actor

He's had a lot of different faces over the years!

Author: Emma DoddsPublished 21st Jan 2019
Last updated 21st Jan 2019

EastEnders character Ben Mitchell has been in and out of Walford more times than we care to count. The 22-year-old, who was born to Phil Mitchell and Kathy Beale in March 1996, was last seen on the show in early 2018 after scarpering to France with a wad of cash he'd discovered in his pocket after being involved in a robbery.

That was the last we saw of most recent Ben actor Harry Reid, who played him for four years, but EastEnders have announced that whilst the character of Ben Mitchell will be returning to the Square, Harry won't.

Waterloo Road actor Max Bowden will become the sixth incarnation of Ben, who was previously played by Joshua Pascoe for two years, Charlie Jones for four years and two other actors as a baby.

His arrival on the soap was announced by the BBC earlier this morning with the revelation that he would be joined by his cousin and one-time lover, Lola Pearce.

Of his brand new role, Max said, "I’m so excited to be joining the cast of EastEnders and taking on the role of Ben Mitchell. I’ve always been a fan of the show so to be joining one of the most iconic families in soap is beyond exciting. I can’t wait to get started and see what’s in store for Ben.”

New soap boss Kate Oates added of Max joining the cast, "A character like Ben, with his rich history, ‘complicated’ family and complex psychology, is pure gold. With Max in the role, we will be exploring the aspects of Ben’s character that have been allowed to develop during his time away from the Square: unfettered by old loyalties, and out of the long shadow of his father, Phil."

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EastEnders' Ben Mitchell to return played by yet another new actor
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Although there's no word yet on when Ben will return to Walford, we do know that Rob Kazinsky will be reprising his role as Sean Slater on the soap in the coming months. Rob, who left EastEnders in 2009, said, "Throughout my career, I have always felt that my best work was on EastEnders as Sean Slater

"There was something there in him that I understood completely, something traumatic, something that we never really got to show the viewers. I have unfinished business in Albert Square and am thrilled to be returning to what I still consider to be my home, however briefly."

EastEnders airs on Mondays and Fridays at 8pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One.

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