EastEnders' Ben receives news as he and Callum face their feelings
What's next for the pair?
**This article includes discussions of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.**
Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) received big news in tonight's episode of EastEnders (3rd October), just as he and estranged husband Callum Highway (Tony Clay) were sharing a moment.
The couple have been separated since May after Ben was raped by Lewis Butler (Aidan O'Callaghan). Ben initially allowed Callum to believe that he had cheated on him, wanting to protect him from the horrifying truth.
But when Ben decided to report Lewis to the police, an on-duty Callum finally worked out what happened. He pleaded with Ben to give their marriage another chance, but Ben insisted that their split was permanent.
Yet it's been so obvious that they belong together, to the point that even Callum's brother Stuart (Ricky Champ) gave Ben a pep talk before he moved away. Tonight, Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) took action after seeing how much Ben and Callum miss each other.
Overhearing Callum's nan Vi (Gwen Taylor) stressing about moving out of the funeral parlour flat, Lola enlisted Ben and Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) to help Vi move while Callum was at work. Lola, Vi and Jay ended up telling Ben how much of an idiot he was for letting Callum go, and Ben soon began to realise what they were up to.
By the time Vi demanded that they needed to move her bed from the old flat over to Callum's, Ben was getting rather fed up. Then Callum returned, and upon seeing the bed, he told his nan that they would not be moving the bed to his place. Instantly, Vi backed down as the rest of the group left the two men alone together, and Ben filled Callum in on their ruse.
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As they chatted, both admitted that their feelings are still there. Ben asked Callum outright if he still loved him, and Callum said a part of him always would - especially as he still saw him most days. Ben revealed that, despite the choice he made to walk away from him, he couldn't just turn his feelings off. The pair seemed comfortable together, even as they discussed their break-up.
Callum asked Ben how he was feeling after all that he'd been through, and Ben replied that he was starting to get better. They then shared a laugh over the fact that they were "in bed together again" as they sat on Vi's mattress.
But they were soon interrupted by a man called Nick who was handling Ben's case against Lewis. He revealed that Lewis had been arrested but was now out on bail, and Lewis had claimed that he had consensual sex with Ben. Ben was upset and angry to hear this, as Callum tried to reassure him that at least Lewis was now in the police system.
Will Ben get justice? And could he and Callum ever get back together, or was their chat simply a moment of closure for them both?
EastEnders has worked closely with Survivors Manchester on Ben's storyline. You can find help and support at www.survivorsmanchester.org.uk and www.survivorsuk.org.
Read more:
- EastEnders' Ben and Callum revive chemistry after burnout
- EastEnders reveals fresh hope for beloved couple after latest split
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Authors
Laura Denby is a Freelance Soaps writer covering all the latest news in the Dales, Cobbles and East End for Radio Times. She's a soaps nerd with a love for comedy drama, and has also written for Digital Spy, Metro UK and Yahoo UK.