With the news that BBC bosses are welcoming a sixth actor into the EastEnders' fold to play Ben Mitchell, we thought we’d take a look back at his predecessors
Soapland is no stranger to welcoming back old characters with new faces – Emmerdale’s troubled Amy Wyatt will be returning this year, played by a new actress – and Ben has had more than his fair share of regenerations.
As the son of one of the most notorious names in soap – Phil Mitchell – Ben’s storylines have always been explosive, but after his most recent hiatus from the Square, we can expect even more drama as a grown-up Ben has really come into his own. In fact, there looks to be more than a hint of Phil’s temper about him, too.
CHECK OUT the changing faces of Ben Mitchell
The changing faces of Ben Mitchell
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Ben was born to Phil and Kathy Mitchell in 1996, and was played by ADORABLE bubba Matthew Silver.
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As a toddler, the role was taken over by a little boy called Morgan Whittle, who played Ben's terrible twos (to fours) until 2001.
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As a schoolboy, Ben was played by a young actor named Charlie Jones. He quit the soap in 2010 after four years, and turns 23 (!?) later this year.
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Little Charlie is not so little any more, and looks like he'd be a mega hit with the girls. He's a rare presence on social media, though, and it looks as though he's dropped out of the limelight, too.
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Joshua Pascoe played Phil Mitchell's son for a brief time between 2010 and 2012, and certainly nailed the 'moody teenager' thing. Joshua was axed by the soap after an alleged sexual assault, but is still acting in indie productions and on stage.
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Sadly, the last time Joshua was in the news he was exhibiting some extremely unpleasant – drunkenly complaining to passers by on the street in London that he'd lost his wallet, and accusing "some p**i" of stealing it. Grim.
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In 2014, after a brief hiatus, the role was reprised by Harry Reid when dad Phil got back in touch with him. As an adult, Ben becomes a dad to Lexi Pearce, explores his sexuality with various male characters, and eventually left the Square in summer 2018 following an explosive robbery storyline.
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Now 26, Harry moved into theatre and ditched the glasses for his role as Leonard Vole in a very high brow production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution at The Old County Hall. Just don't forget your roots, Harry!
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Returning for the sixth time, with Lexi and her mum Lola in tow, Ben is now played by Max Bowden. "A character like Ben, with his rich history, 'complicated' family and complex psychology, is pure gold," said xxecutive producer Kate Oates."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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But is it just us whose hearts break a little lamenting the loss of cherubic, innocent baby Ben? When he first entered the world in 1996, Ben was played by an infant named Matthew Silver.
But they grow up oh so fast, and it wasn’t long before he was recast, played by toddler Morgan Whittle.
Viewers missed out on most of Ben’s early childhood, and when he returned to EastEnders in 2006 – portrayed by actor Charlie Jones – it was just about the last time we could accept the changing faces of Ben Mitchell.
Since then, we’ve taken Ben’s re-castings with a pinch of salt, as he’s been played by two more actors, and the most recentannouncement makes a grand total of SIX actors to play the controversial character.
But though it might be difficult to keep up, we’re actually pretty thrilled with the news that Max Bowden will be filling his boots. He played brooding teenager Justin Fitzgerald on Waterloo Road between 2014 and 2015 – and he’s rocking a serious glow-up for his return to our TV’s as Ben Mitchell.