EastEnders' Phil makes emotional gesture in Mitchell turning point
It's been a long time coming
One thing that Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) has always longed for in EastEnders is the respect of his hard-as-nails dad Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). As the heartbroken father finally discovered that his son has been struggling with substantial hearing loss since the boat accident he wrote him an emotional note saying, "I'm proud of you".
For much of Tuesday 7th April's episode Ben did his best to hide the effects of his injury from Phil knowing how intolerant he can be about any kind of imagined or perceived weakness. But after Sharon told him, Phil tested his son by offering to make him a cup of tea away from Ben's eye-line and then admitted he already knew what he was going through.
Ben banged his head and fists on the table in frustration as he tried to explain to a fast-talking Phil that he didn't know what his dad was saying.
"I'm sorry," said Phil before reaching for a pen and paper. As a teary Ben read what his dad had written the pair went in for a big hug and Ben promised that he wasn't going to let this beat him.
It wasn't the only boat crash-related revelation of the night. As Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero) was thwarted by Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) discovering from Ben that there were no CCTV cameras in The Arches she found a new ally in Vinny (Shiv Jolata).
Dotty told an indignant Vinny all about Ian's part in Denny Jr's watery demise and with Bobby Beale also spotting his dad and Dotty having a heated exchange about the incident the guilty restaurateur is a long way from getting off the hook.
Justice will be done.
- EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
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