According to actor Max Bowden, Ben Mitchell has been going through a really trying period in EastEnders, and things don’t seem to be getting any better anytime soon.
Ben has dealt with a lot over the last six months, from the awful diagnosis of Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) to the information that Lewis, the rapist, has been detained and charged with yet another act.
He has been dealing with bulimia during all of this, which has caused him to restrict his eating and engage in excessive activity.
Max Bowden discussed how Ben feels helpless in light of Lola’s predicament.
He said, “I think he feels really alone and trapped.”
It’s about isolation now that Ben’s capacity to manage the issue for a considerable amount of time has been fully filtered away.
Despite being a solid family unit, they are all coping with sorrow in their own unique ways, which is a normal process for anybody who has experienced tragedy.
Max warns Ben that his future is dark, so it seems that things might be about to become worse.
I believe that Ben must act now or never, he continued. He has to make an effort to manage the factors that influence him.
It’s time for him to work on himself, own his shortcomings, stop being so very harsh on himself, and maybe allow some time for some professional assistance, but things are looking grim and difficult.
People cope with pain and loss in various ways, and Ben has probably certainly anticipated this one for some time.
As they see Ben struggle to accept Lola’s diagnosis, Ben’s parents, Phil Mitchell and Kathy Beale (Steve McFadden and Gillian Taylforth), will both make an effort to reach out to him in subsequent scenes.
When Phil is able to spend some time alone with Ben, he opens out to Ben about his personal experience grieving the passing of his mother, Peggy Mitchell.
Ben finds that this dialogue has meaning for him and is inspired to apologise for his actions.
Ben is affected by Phil’s counsel and the resonance of their discussion about Peggy, Max said.
It’s time for Ben to look outside the box, look outside of his own soul for answers, and allow other people to infiltrate his mind, and I believe Phil is that person. “I think there’s so much selfishness from Ben in terms of it being his way or the high way and that lack of understanding and empathy has got him nowhere through his childhood, through his early adult life,” Phil said.
Ben would subsequently cause a disturbance during the Ladies Day celebration that Lola has planned, leading Kathy to attempt to communicate with him.
Max said, “I believe Ben listens to Kathy probably more than he does his dad these days.
“Because of her relationship with Gavin, Kathy wasn’t there for the majority of Ben’s life. Ben now has the confidence to talk about his life and his problems, and I think she has a real grasp and understanding of what it’s like to be Ben.”
Will Ben allow his loved ones to support him as he faces even greater obstacles in the future, or will he wind up alienating them all?
