Super fan spends £5000 turning his home into a shrine to Ben Mitchell
The EastEnders actor has helped the man come to terms with his sexuality
Shaun Smith, an EastEnders and in particular Ben Mitchell super fan from Basildon, has spent a whopping £5,000 transforming his home into a shine of his favourite soap character.
The 48-year-old has decorated his whole house with photos of Ben Mitchell and EastEnders memorabilia that he has collected over the years. Shaun’s kitchen, living room, hallway and bedroom are all covered in tribute to the actor Harry Reid.
Not only that, Shaun has also bought himself personalised bags, clothing, blankets, cushions, mugs and even Christmas decorations covered in Ben’s face.
To get the full effect of Shaun's obsession here's a close up...
© Basildon Twitter
He's even been spotted out and about in his personalised Ben Mitchell tracksuit.
Shaun has admitted Ben’s recent storyline of him coming out gay has helped his own self-esteem and confidence and now finds it easier to address his own sexuality.
Speaking to a national newspaper, he said, “I didn’t watch EastEnders until Ben came into it in 2014 and I can just really relate to his character. He went through a really difficulty time coming out to Phil and had to deal with people turning against him. I went through something similar."
Addressing his critics Shaun said, "I am not a stalker or anything. I just get a real buzz out of collecting things."
Shaun hopes that actor Harry Reid likes his collection but he is yet to meet his idol.