It's been quite the rollercoaster year for EastEnders, as storylines have kept delivering gut punches to lots of main characters. There have been new arrivals, plot twists but also, some beloved character exits – namely with the departure of Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden).
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In scenes that aired earlier this year in March, Ben was faced with a future behind bars after committing theft and fraud while in America, seeking cancer treatment for the late Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold).
But it was a fitting way to end that chapter for both Ben and husband Callum Highway (Tony Clay), Clay explained exclusively to RadioTimes.com.
Speaking about the departure of Bowden while on the red carpet at this year's National Television Awards (NTAs), Clay said: "Yeah it was hard. It's been a weird year, yeah."
EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
He added: "It was really nice that we did some really lovely work in those scenes and I think it was a good way to finish that sort of chapter for now. See what happens."
As for how things were left between the couple, they shared an emotional heart-to-heart but Ben reverted back to his usual behaviour and pushed Callum away, telling him to find someone who would love him while he was locked away.
But refusing to take the easy route, Callum vowed to wait for Ben while he served his time which went down a treat with fans of the show and their relationship in particular.
As for how things will end up panning out for them, we'll just have to wait and see.
We do know that there's plenty of other storylines to look ahead to though as the long-running soap will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special live episode set to air next February.
On the news of the special live episode, executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: "Whilst we’re still keeping the finite details of the 40th close to our chest, I can promise that it will be an unmissable week full of shocking twists that will change Albert Square, and the lives of those who live in it, forever."
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
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Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
