Ben Mitchell ( EastEnders ) - wikipedia Ben Mitchell ( EastEnders ) Ben Mitchell Harry Reid as Ben Mitchell ( 2014 ) EastEnders character Portrayed by Matthew Silver ( 1996 -- 1998 ) Morgan Whittle ( 1999 -- 2001 ) Charlie Jones ( 2006 -- 2010 ) Joshua Pascoe ( 2010 -- 2012 ) Harry Reid ( 2014 -- 2017 ) Duration 1996 -- 2001, 2006 -- 2012, 2014 -- 2017 First appearance Episode 1266 21 March 1996 ( 1996 - 03 - 21 ) Introduced by Jane Harris ( 1996 ) Matthew Robinson ( 1999 ) John Yorke ( 2001 ) Kate Harwood ( 2006 ) Bryan Kirkwood ( 2010 ) Dominic Treadwell - Collins ( 2014 ) Classification Present ; regular ( departing ) Profile Occupation Student Mechanic Businessman Ben as portrayed by Charlie Jones ( left ) and Joshua Pascoe ( right ), with a `` harder edge '' in the latter depiction. Family Family Mitchell Father Phil Mitchell Mother Kathy Beale Stepfather Gavin Sullivan Stepmother Sharon Watts Half - brothers Ian Beale Raymond Half - sisters Louise Mitchell Donna Ludlow Daughters Lexi Pearce Grandfathers Eric Mitchell Grandmothers Peggy Mitchell Uncles Grant Mitchell Aunts Sam Mitchell Nephews Peter Beale Bobby Beale Nieces Lucy Beale First cousins Tony Hills Sarah Hills Mark Fowler Ricky Mitchell Courtney Mitchell Other relatives Ronnie Mitchell Roxy Mitchell Billy Mitchell Lola Pearce Aunt Sal Benjamin `` Ben '' Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The role has been played by five different actors. Matthew Silver appeared as an infant Ben from 1996 -- 1998, and Morgan Whittle played him as a toddler from 1999 -- 2001. After a six - year absence from the series, Charlie Jones assumed the role of Ben in 2006. In May 2010, it was announced that the role was recast to Joshua Pascoe, who made his first appearance as Ben on 13 December 2010. Pascoe then took a break from EastEnders between 13 May 2011 and 9 September 2011. In May 2012, it was announced that Pascoe would be leaving the role, and made his final appearance on 24 August 2012. On 14 May 2014, it was announced that Ben would be returning to the serial, with the part being recast to Harry Reid, who appeared from 22 September 2014. In October 2017, it was announced that Reid had been written out of the show by show bosses. Following the news, EastEnders fans start to launch a petition to save Ben Mitchell from the axe and do n't lose ' the best Ben ' that EastEnders had. Ben 's storylines include a feud between the show 's Mitchell and Beale families for his custody ; developing a love of dance and the arts, which is a source of tension between him and his father, Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ) ; being physically and mentally abused by his father 's girlfriend Stella Crawford ( Sophie Thompson ) ; struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality and then attempting to hide it ; unintentionally killing Heather Trott ( Cheryl Fergison ) ; having a daughter, Lexi Pearce, with Lola Pearce ( Danielle Harold ) ; a relationship with Abi Branning ( Lorna Fitzgerald ), while having a secret relationship with Paul Coker ( Jonny Labey ), who he had a relationship with when he came out ; being involved in a homophobic attack which caused Paul 's death and romantically involved with Luke Browning ( Adam Astill ), the son of rapist James Willmott - Brown ( William Boyde ). As played by Jones, Ben received generally poor reviews from critics. Grace Dent of The Guardian wrote several negative opinion pieces on the character, and contacted the BBC with a list of suggestions for humorous storylines in which he could be killed - off. However, the storyline where Ben was abused by Stella won `` Best Storyline '' at the 2007 Inside Soap Awards, and was nominated for the `` Best Soap Storyline '' accolade at the TV Quick and TV Choice Awards. In 2012, Pascoe was nominated `` Villain of the Year '', but lost out to Andrew Lancel ( Coronation Street ). Lisa O'Connell, also writing for The Guardian, was complimentary of Ben 's later, protracted coming out storyline, which she called `` a perfect foundation for years of dramatic conflict ''. Contents 1 Storylines 1.1 1996 -- 2012 1.2 2014 -- 2017 2 Casting and characterisation 3 Storyline development 3.1 Departure ( 2017 ) 4 Reception 5 See also 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 External links Storylines 1996 -- 2012 When Kathy Mitchell ( Gillian Taylforth ) keeps fainting and puts off seeing Harold Legg ( Leonard Fenton ), she relents and is told she is pregnant. Her husband, Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ) is overjoyed about becoming a father, as is Phil 's mother, Peggy Mitchell ( Barbara Windsor ). Kathy 's son, Ian Beale ( Adam Woodyatt ), who dislikes Phil, is stunned, but is nice towards him for Kathy 's sake. Kathy goes into labour with her friend, Pat Butcher ( Pam St. Clement ), helping her and Phil meets their son shortly after he is born. Kathy is opposed to Peggy 's name suggestion of Eric and names him Ben. Kathy 's niece, Sarah Hills ( Daniela Denby - Ashe ), and Sarah 's boyfriend, Robbie Jackson ( Dean Gaffney ), look after Ben when he becomes ill and is rushed to hospital, where he is diagnosed with meningitis. Phil 's brother, Grant Mitchell ( Ross Kemp ), reveals that Mark Fowler ( Todd Carty ), the husband of Ben 's childminder Ruth Fowler ( Caroline Paterson ) and Kathy 's nephew, has AIDS. Despite Kathy panicking that the AIDS caused the meningitis, she is reassured the conditions are not linked. Kathy and Phil are told that Ben has been left partially deaf in one ear. Two years later, Kathy moves to South Africa and takes Ben with her. Kathy marries a man named Gavin Sullivan ( then an unseen character ; Paul Nicholas since 2016 ). Eight years later, Walford residents hear that Kathy and Gavin have been killed in a car crash, so Ben ( now portrayed by Charlie Jones ) returns to England to live with his half - brother Ian. He eventually moves in with Phil, after his father wins a long custody battle. Ben dislikes Phil 's new girlfriend Stella Crawford ( Sophie Thompson ), who in turn feels that Ben is intruding on their relationship. She abuses Ben physically and psychologically, from burning him with a hot spoon, also attempting to spoil his friendship with Abi Branning ( Lorna Fitzgerald ) when she discovers this, to threatening to kill Phil if Ben tells anyone about her actions. Phil and Stella become engaged. On their wedding day, Ben admits that Stella has been abusing him ; she commits suicide by jumping from a roof. Phil, a recovering alcoholic, begins drinking again in the aftermath, but resumes a life of sobriety for Ben 's sake. Unbeknown to Phil, Ben develops an interest in dancing. He secretly takes classes, passing a dance exam, and is ultimately able to gain his father 's approval. In March 2010, Phil 's estranged daughter Louise ( Brittany Papple ) comes to stay with the family. She steals Ben 's diary and fakes an entry which suggests he is gay. In retaliation, Ben burns Louise 's hand the same way Stella burnt his. He later locks Louise in a summerhouse for a day, then pretends to find her to earn approval from his father. Louise blames Jordan Johnson ( Michael - Joel David Stuart ), an acquaintance of Ben 's, but when Phil sees burn marks on Louise 's arm, she reveals that Ben is to blame. Phil worries Ben is copying Stella, and punches him when he catches Ben about to burn Louise again. Questioned as to why he hurt Louise, Ben claims that Jordan is bullying him. Phil advises Ben to fight back ; soon after, Ben attacks Jordan with a spanner, leaving him with a fractured skull. His father warns him against admitting to the attack, but Ben confesses and moves in with Ian. After hearing from Crown Court Ben could spend time in juvenile detention, Phil plans to send him to live with his uncle Grant ( Ross Kemp ) abroad, but Ben refuses thanks to Peggy making him change his mind, after Shirley ( Linda Henry ) overhears Phil discussing the plans to Ben and receives an eight - month sentence as a result. Phil indeed blames his mother for Ben 's sentencing. He tells Peggy and Phil he is coping despite being bullied by Cal Childs ( Danny Barnham ), and when the family discovers this Ben asks them not to visit him. Ben, ( now portrayed by Joshua Pascoe ) is released, and arrives home to discover Jay Brown ( Jamie Borthwick ), the foster child of Phil 's relative Billy ( Perry Fenwick ), has usurped his place in Phil 's affections. Ben is jealous of Jay initially but does develop a ' brotherly ' relationship with him. Ben vents his anger at those who cross him, punching Phil in the face and pushing Phil 's aunt Glenda Mitchell ( Glynis Barber ) down a flight of stairs for ruining his home coming party. Ben attends a gym and shares his first kiss with boxer, Duncan Willis ( Steven France ). When they are seen kissing by shopkeeper Patrick Trueman ( Rudolph Walker ), Ben throws a brick through Patrick 's window and tries to intimidate him into not going public about his homosexuality. Phil observes and misinterprets their altercation, believing Patrick is assaulting Ben. He launches a vendetta against Patrick. After Duncan confronts Ben about his victimisation of Patrick he tells him their kiss did n't mean anything and cuts ties with him, Ben confesses to Phil. Disgusted his son is gay, Phil pushes Ben away, terrified his homosexuality will ruin his reputation. Ben develops feelings for Christian Clarke ( John Partridge ), who is also gay but engaged to his boyfriend Syed ( Marc Elliot ). Ben tries to split them up and attempts to kiss Christian. After being rejected, Ben claims Christian touched him inappropriately as revenge. Phil goes into a violent rampage, hitting Christian with a baseball bat, which prompts Ben to admit the truth. In the wake of this, Phil tries to accept Ben 's homosexuality. Billy 's granddaughter, Lola Pearce ( Danielle Harold ), offers to have sex with Ben to test his sexuality. Ben loses his virginity to Lola in October 2011 and concludes that he is definitely gay. Ben is later concerned to discover Lola is pregnant, however she denies he is the father. Ben continues to feel angst towards Phil for rejecting him. He anonymously stalks Phil, terrorising him with evidence about his past crimes. DCI Marsden ( Sophie Stanton ), who has been attempting to imprison Phil for over a decade, opens an investigation. She interviews Ben regarding Stella 's death in 2007. Ben tells her that Phil forced Stella to jump off a building on threat of being pushed. Phil plans to flee the country before arrest, but is stalled by Ben, who reveals himself as his father 's stalker. Phil is charged with Stella 's murder and when the Mitchell family discover Ben 's involvement in his father 's arrest, they disown him. Ben 's brother Ian eventually discovers Ben lied to DCI Marsden and informs the police. Phil is released ; however, Ben mistakingly believes he has been betrayed by Heather Trott ( Cheryl Fergison ), who also knows he set Phil up. He confronts Heather in fear and desperation, and hits her over the head with a metal picture frame, killing her. Phil returns from prison moments after Heather 's murder. Feeling responsible for his son 's behaviour, Phil covers up Ben 's involvement with Jay 's help, who was present when Heather was killed. Phil 's, now girlfriend Shirley discovers Heather 's body, and as she was her best friend, she vows to find the killer. Worried she will discover the truth, Ben convinces Phil to break - up with Shirley and she is thrown out of their home, while Jay is so traumatised by Heather 's murder that he moves out of the Mitchells '. Ben and Phil wrestle with guilt and argue regularly, with Phil turning to alcohol. Needing to confide in someone, Ben admits his crime to Ian ; the confession contributes to Ian 's mental breakdown, and amidst threats from Phil to stay silent, Ian absconds, leaving Phil and Ben searching for him to no avail. Ben fails to dispose of the photo frame and it is taken by Jean Slater ( Gillian Wright ), who is collecting for charity. It is put into the charity shop and later is discovered by Shirley, who realises it is the murder weapon. Tracing it back to the Mitchell house, she confronts Phil, believing him to be the killer, but Ben gives himself away during the argument. Shirley is furious and nearly drowns Ben, but Phil intervenes and convinces Shirley to talk to Ben about why he killed Heather. However, they find Ben gone and he confesses to the police. D.C.I. Marsden does not believe him at first, but he is later arrested for murder. He is charged the next day, and Phil 's solicitor Ritchie Scott ( Sian Webber ) informs Phil that Ben could face up to 10 years in prison. Phil tries to persuade Ben to change his statement, however Ben insists that he needs to be punished. Ben refuses to have any contact with anyone until he is released. In October 2012, Ben 's murder charge is dropped and Phil is told he will be tried for manslaughter, to which he will plead guilty. Ben then agrees to a visit from Phil, and Phil plans to tell Ben that he is the father of Lola 's daughter, Lexi Pearce, though he decides not to. Ben is sentenced to four years imprisonment and discovers he is Lexi 's father after a visit from Lola. 2014 -- 2017 After witnessing Ian 's grief following his daughter Lucy Beale 's ( Hetti Bywater ) murder ( see `` Who Killed Lucy Beale ? '' ), Phil decides to get in touch with Ben ; however, Ritchie reveals that Ben was released the previous month. Phil can not get hold of him, although Jay has seen Ben twice since his release. In September Ben ( now played by Harry Reid ) returns to Walford when he learns that Phil is having an affair with Shirley days before his wedding to Sharon Rickman ( Letitia Dean ). Ben initially tries to convince his father to reunite with Shirley, but forms a bond with Sharon when she accepts him into the family and acts as Phil 's best man at the wedding. After the wedding, Shirley shoots Phil whilst struggling with Sharon. Ronnie asks Ben and Jay to get rid of the gun. Ben meets Johnny Carter ( Sam Strike ) and is attracted to him, but when Johnny makes a move Ben reacts badly and says he is not gay and that his interest in men was a phase. He then starts a relationship with Abi in an effort to prove it to Phil and Johnny. When Johnny later leaves the square, he tells Ben not to hide who he truly is. Although Ben continues to deny his attraction to men, he later misinterprets a brotherly moment with Jay and tries to kiss him. Jay later tells Abi, but then lies and says he made it up when he sees how upset she is. Ben eventually confesses to Abi that he 's still attracted to men but, desperate to keep him, Abi decides to stay with him, saying their relationship is about more than sex. However, Ben is later seen looking at a gay contacts app on his smartphone. Ben had instructed Jay to bury Lucy 's purse and phone, which has been missing since her death. Denise Fox ( Diane Parish ) digs them up in Patrick Trueman 's ( Rudolph Walker ) allotment and takes them to Ian, who calls the police before Ben convinces him that he found them on Good Friday in a bag in the Square and had no part in Lucy 's murder. Ian lies to the police and protects Ben. When Phil is arrested on suspicion of attempting to kill Ronnie, he puts Ben in charge of his garage. Max Branning ( Jake Wood ) starts helping him with deals, only to trick Ben into signing over the garage to him as revenge for the death of his girlfriend Emma Summerhayes ( Anna Acton ), which Max has blamed Phil for, though Phil eventually gets the garage back. Ben then starts a sexual relationship with Paul Coker ( Jonny Labey ), whilst maintaining his relationship with Abi. Ben grows frustrated with Abi 's controlling behaviour, and she is suspicious, so Ben has sex with her to allay her fears. Phil catches Ben and Paul half - naked together at the car lot, and angrily tells Ben to leave as he broke his trust, both in hiding his homosexuality and being loyal to Abi. Ben ends his relationship with Paul, leaving Paul heartbroken. Paul tries to speak to Ben on numerous occasions, but fails to win Ben 's affections over. Ben and Abi decide to find their own home after realising they can no longer stay with Phil after Sharon leaves him. Ben and Paul flirt and arrange to go to the cinema but when Abi finds them and leaves in anger feeling Ben is not taking their plans seriously, Ben follows her, leaving Paul alone. Paul later tells Ben that he loves him and says Ben must decide who really wants and accept who he really is. To give himself more time, Ben books tickets for Abi to visit a friend on holiday, and then tells Paul he loves him back. Jay sees them kissing, and tells Ben to admit to Abi that he loves Paul. When Phil is later sent to hospital and informed that he will be dead within 12 months unless he has a liver transplant, Ben, alongside Sharon and Jay, refuse to visit him, and Sharon has him change the locks on the house so Phil can not enter when he is discharged. After Abi returns from her trip to Paris with her friend, she realises that Ben may be having an affair with Paul. Ben plans to break up with Abi, but Abi has been manipulated by Babe Smith ( Annette Badland ), who tells her to announce she is pregnant so that Ben will not leave her. Abi does this publicly and then plans to get pregnant for real but Ben says they can not have sex because he thinks he may have caught an STI from a stranger, so Abi resorts to having sex with Lee Carter ( Danny - Boy Hatchard ) to try to get pregnant. Ben discovers he has chlamydia, and Abi also has it. She later fakes a miscarriage in an attempt to end her pregnancy lie, but when she upsets Babe, Babe writes Ben a letter revealing the truth. The letter is read by Ben 's sister Louise Mitchell ( Tilly Keeper ), who has returned, and to keep her from showing it to Ben, Abi allows her to use Phil 's credit card. When Ben finds the card, he confronts Abi, but she believes he found the letter so inadvertently reveals she was never pregnant and says that Louise was blackmailing her. Ben takes revenge on Louise in The Queen Vic by putting her head in the toilet. He then seduces Abi and takes her top off, but then drags her into the main bar of the pub, revealing via a karaoke microphone that she invented the pregnancy. Ben then resumes his relationship with Paul with the support of most of his friends and family. Following an agreement with Les and Pam, who make plans to retire and leave Walford, Ben and Paul make arrangements to become the new managers of Coker and Sons. In celebration, they spend a night out together, and are not seen again the next day. Ben 's family are alerted by the police that a dead young man whom they believe to be Ben has been found, having been involved in a fight, but upon inspection, the victim is revealed to be Paul. Ben is found by Buster Briggs ( Karl Howman ) after managing to make his way back to Walford, albeit with major injuries. He explains that he and Paul were cornered by four large men and chased after coming out of a night club, and were separated when running away. When informed of Paul 's death, he lashes out in a violent rage, before breaking down in tears in Kathy and Phil 's arms. Ben later visits the Queen Vic to join his neighbours in a toast to Paul 's memory, but Paul 's grandmother Pam Coker ( Lin Blakley ) blames him for Paul 's death and dubs him the worst thing to ever happen to Paul, wishing he had died instead. Ben wishes the same, and later confesses to Johnny ( now played by Ted Reilly ) that he and Paul were victims of homophobic namecalling, and despite Paul insisting they ignore the culprits, Ben confronted the men, causing the attack, and thus blames himself for Paul 's death. Johnny encourages Ben to report this to the police, and Ben recognises one of the attackers outside the police station. Using the man 's car registration number, he gets an address and demands a gun from Phil to seek revenge. Phil tricks Ben and does not get a gun, so Ben goes missing. He returns, having failed to find the man. Paul 's body is released, and Ben realises Jay has been using cocaine. Jay and Ben decide to help each other move on from their problems, so Ben decides to let the police find the attackers. However, Ben and Jay change their minds, agreeing to take revenge and then leave Walford together. Louise worries that Ben may be about to get into trouble so asks help from Paul 's grandfather, Les Coker ( Roger Sloman ), who tells Ben not to put his family through what he and Pam are going through, as Ben could be killed too. Ben does promise not to track down Paul 's killers but when Jay finds an address and says Ben will regret doing nothing, Ben and Jay leave. They return to Walford after Louise calls to the police, but are then kidnapped by the attackers at the Mitchell home. Ben is rescued by his uncle Grant Mitchell ( Ross Kemp ) and Grant 's son Mark Fowler ( Ned Porteous ). Jay, who the killers trapped in a van, flees when the police appear. Ben later says a farewell to Jay, who leaves Walford shortly after Paul 's funeral and Jay says that they will always be brothers. Not wanting Phil to die, Ben decides to donate part of his liver to him, but a doctor tells them it will still take time. Despite Ben 's discovery that Phil has cut him out of his will, he proceeds with his plan to donate part of his liver, but he is refused by the hospital who are unsatisfied with his answers and emotional responses when interviewed. However, Phil eventually gets a liver transplant. While Phil and Sharon are on holiday, Ben and Jay move to their own house ( 18 Albert Square ). On Ben 's 21st birthday, Jay throws the pair a housewarming party, where Ben and Johnny have a one - night stand after getting drunk. The next day, they both worry that the other wants a relationship but are relieved to realise they just see each other as friends. After Louise suffers severe burns following a disaster at a school prom, against Sharon 's request Ben calls Phil who is Italy recovering from his transplant. Ben signs the paperwork for The Arches when Phil decides to hand it over to him and Sharon is left stunned when he decides to give Jay the car lot land. Kathy insists to Phil that he justifies his reasons to Ben about giving Jay the car lot land that is worth more than The Arches. Ben finds a solicitor 's letter of Phil 's that mentions Raymond and after confronting Phil, Phil tells Ben that Raymond is his half - brother. Ben is angry with Phil for making him feel second best to Phil and Sharon 's other children. Ben learns that Phil offered Jay the car lot out of guilt for killing his apparent biological father, Alan Hall, a victim of the car lot fire that Phil had caused 23 years previously in an insurance scam. After a fight with Jay, they make amends. Ben bumps into Luke Browning ( Adam Astill ), the son of James Willmott - Brown ( William Boyde ), who raped Kathy 30 years ago, at the cafe where Ben accidentally spills coffee on Luke 's suit. Ben apologies to Luke, unaware of Luke 's true identity. Ben meets Luke again at the Vic when he is having a drink with Jay and Donna. Ben and Luke go to the Arches where they kiss. Casting and characterisation Having previously appeared as a baby and a toddler, Ben returned to EastEnders in 2006 played by child actor Charlie Jones. Jones was cast alongside Megan Jossa, who would play his cousin Courtney Mitchell. While Ben is partially deaf, Jones is a hearing actor. The Guardian 's Rebecca Atkinson suggested that, as only the second disabled character in EastEnders 's history, Ben was introduced to fulfil a BBC quota. She criticised Jones ' casting, and opined, `` The use of able - bodied actors to play disabled characters is endemic. Maybe in theory there 's nothing wrong with that, but while real disabled people are invisible it is downright offensive to persistently cast able - bodied people in disabled roles. '' Scott Matthewman of The Stage sympathised with Atkinson 's complaint, but defended Jones ' casting : `` it 's hard enough to find good child actors who can cope with a soap opera environment at age 10, let alone ones that fit a character 's physical requirement set out the best part of a decade earlier. '' Journalist Charlie Swinbourne, himself deaf, welcomed Ben 's re-introduction for increasing high - profile deaf representation on television. During Jones ' tenure, Ben was portrayed as being physically weak. McFadden described him as unable `` to look after himself '' when Ben was on the verge of being sent to a young offenders ' institute. He subsequently took boxing lessons, and TV Mag 's Gemma Quade noted that Ben `` refuse ( d ) to take the coward 's way out '' and flee the country with his father, but nonetheless was reduced to tears upon receiving a custodial sentence. In May 2010, it was announced that Ben would be written out of EastEnders as part of the show 's revamp by executive producer Bryan Kirkwood. A spokesperson said that his departure would be `` one of the biggest storylines of the summer '', with long - lasting repercussions. Confirmation followed that Ben would be recast ; Joshua Pascoe assumed the part and expressed his enthusiasm to `` ( make ) the role of Ben ( his ) own. '' Pascoe first appeared on 13 December 2010. Allison Maund of Inside Soap observed upon Ben 's re-introduction that he bore `` very little resemblance to the naive young boy he was before being sent down. '' A later comment in the same publication contrasted the two portrayals ; it described the character under Jones as `` sweet young Ben, dancing around to Girls Aloud songs '', and observed that as played by Pascoe, he seems `` to be dancing to the Devil 's tune these days ''. Pascoe took a break from the series in May 2011, during which Kirkwood stated that viewers may have failed to connect with his portrayal of Ben, as it differed significantly from Jones '. He deemed Ben a `` very complex character '' and said, `` we will see a softer side to Ben when he returns, but the character has evolved. The character has been brutalised in his young offenders ' institute and he 's also the son of Phil. '' Considering the character 's potential, Kirkwood envisioned Ben and Jay Mitchell ( Jamie Borthwick ) becoming the new generation of Mitchell brothers, following on from Phil and Grant. On 14 May 2014, Digital Spy revealed Ben would be returning, with another recast later in the year. Harry Reid 's casting as Ben was announced on 18 July. Storyline development Shortly after Ben 's birth in 1996, he became the second character in EastEnders history to contract meningitis -- the first being Vicki Fowler in 1989. As a result, he lost his hearing in one ear. This launched a storyline which highlighted `` the depth of ignorance surrounding HIV and Aids in Walford '', when Ben 's parents blamed HIV - positive resident Mark Fowler ( Todd Carty ) for causing his illness. Phil and Kathy 's marriage collapsed by the end of the year ; jealous of having to share his wife 's attention with Ben, Phil became an alcoholic, and at one point snatched Ben and abandoned him beside a fire. In April 1998, Kathy took Ben and moved to South Africa, where her brother Ted lived. For many years afterwards, Ben and Phil had a long - distance relationship. This led Kate Lock, author of Who 's Who in EastEnders to assess in 2000 that away from his father 's influence, `` the chances of Ben developing normally are probably better than most. '' In 2007, Ben was part of a storyline in which he, his father, Ian and Peter Beale ( Thomas Law ) were involved in a car accident, when the Range Rover they were travelling in crashed into a lake. The scenes cost £ 1 million to produce and were filmed in Surrey over four days, partly in a specially designed stunt tank. Jones had both a stunt double and dummy to supplement his scenes. Despite being one of the most expensive stunts ever filmed by a soap opera, the episode drew EastEnders ' lowest ever audience share and second lowest ratings due to a scheduling conflict with ITV 's Emmerdale. EastEnders scriptwriters worked closely with the NSPCC on the storyline which saw Ben abused by Stella. According to Thompson, the best aspect of the storyline was that she and Jones `` felt so safe and comfortable with each other as actors. And obviously we knew that we were both just telling a story and it was far from real. '' Explaining the motivation behind Stella 's abuse of Ben, she revealed : `` As far as Ben 's concerned, she sees him as an obstacle which she has to overcome to get what she wants. And the fact she does n't understand unconditional love, the fact she 's never experienced it, goes a long way in explaining why she 's treating Ben the way she is. Ultimately, Ben 's in her way and she realises that she has a hold over him and she 'll use that power to get him out of the way and to get that ring on her finger she has longed for. '' It was reported in July 2011 that Ben would come out as a homosexual. He became the third gay character in the series at the time, and the sixteenth in its history. Kirkwood commented, `` For EastEnders viewers, it was never a question of if, but more like when Ben Mitchell was going to come out as gay. The Mitchells represent the spirit of EastEnders -- tough, loyal and uncompromising. To see a man like Phil learn to deal with, and ultimately accept, his gay son, is a valid story for a drama like EastEnders to embark on. '' McFadden stated that Phil had never considered the possibility of Ben 's being gay, rather, he held an idealised view of his son and hoped he would become more like Jay, interested in `` normal macho things ''. He explained that, while Phil could see his son was in turmoil, he was unaware of the depth of it, and believed Ben to be confused about his sexuality because of a prison assault. In contrast, Kirkwood stated his belief that Ben 's coming out would not be a surprise to Phil, and that he had `` probably been dreading this news for many years. '' Scriptwriter Christopher Reason said that Ben 's storyline would be a long - running one, which would see him `` learn wrath '' from his father. It was announced Fergison would be leaving EastEnders in 2012. Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy later reported Heather would be murdered by Ben during an argument at her flat. Kilkelly revealed further details of Heather 's exit on 11 March 2012. He reported that Heather would die when Ben hits her with a picture frame, causing her to fall back and hit her head on a kitchen counter. In May 2012, it was announced that Pascoe had decided to leave the role. It has been confirmed that the truth will come out about Heather Trott 's ( Cheryl Fergison ) murder which will ultimately lead to Ben 's departure, but how the truth will be revealed is being closely kept under wraps by EastEnders bosses although they did say it will be the outcome everyone is hoping for. He made his final appearance on 24 August 2012. Departure ( 2017 ) On 2 October 2017, it was announced that Reid had been written out of the show after three years and that he and Ben would depart in an ' explosive storyline ' at the end of the year. An EastEnders spokeswoman said : `` We can confirm that Harry will be leaving EastEnders. Harry has been a great addition to the cast and we wish him all the best for the future. '' Following the news of Reid 's departure, EastEnders fans start to launch a petition to save Ben Mitchell from the axe and do n't lose ' the best Ben ' that EastEnders had. Reception `` The scriptwriters ' non-stop torment of Ben Mitchell is just getting silly now. Left partially deaf after contracting meningitis as a baby, he 's lost his mum and stepfather, been kidnapped by Martin Fowler, nearly drowned in a sinking Land Rover, been bullied by his dad 's ( now dead ) fiance Stella... and is inescapably related by blood to Ian Beale. About the only good thing to happen to him lately is that he 's got new specs. '' -- Jane Simon of the Daily Mirror on Ben 's bad luck. In 2007, Ben 's abuse by Stella won Best Storyline at the Inside Soap Awards, and was nominated as the Best Soap Storyline at the TV Quick and TV Choice Awards. During the storyline, the BBC received sixty complaints when Stella was seen to watch and laugh as bullies kicked Ben to the ground. A spokeswoman responded, `` We know viewers could consider this storyline disturbing but we aim to reflect the reality of bullying. '' Ben as played by Jones received generally negative reviews from critics. The Guardian 's Grace Dent called him a `` spooky little git '', and her fellow Guardian writer Daniel Martin deemed him `` gormless ''. As part of an EastEnders - themed drinking game, Digital Spy 's Alex Fletcher instructed players to drink beer every time Ben `` is spotted whimpering on the stairs ''. Dent suggested that Phil and Ian 's fighting over custody of Ben would turn him into `` the next Jeffrey Dahmer '', and in an article on the future of Britain 's soap opera adolescents, noted that : `` Albert Square will no doubt reap what it 's sown with tiny, cursed, abused, accident - prone, 11 - year - old Ben Mitchell. Oh it 's going to be fun and games when Ben turns 16 and finds his inner anger. '' Continuing this theme, Dent questioned `` how far are they going to push this little boy ? ''. She listed the many setbacks and problems Ben had encountered, and suggested that within five years, he would be `` on top of the community centre with a rifle using ( Peggy 's ) wig as target practice. '' Dent later criticised a string of storylines which saw Ben endangered, from his abuse by Stella, to a car accident in which he almost drowned. She stated that his numerous pitfalls were becoming `` a touch daft '' and likened Ben to the often - killed South Park character Kenny McCormick. Dent hypothesised that the EastEnders scriptwriters `` cheer themselves by conjuring up fresh ways to dispense with ( Ben ) '' and said she had contacted the BBC with her own suggestions for creative deaths that might befall him. Kevin O'Sullivan of the Daily Mirror commented on `` ballet - loving Ben 's obsession with West End musicals, Judy Garland and dancing, '' and in 2008 suggested that Ben was gay, pre-dating the character 's coming out by three years. The Guardian 's Lisa O'Connell welcomed the eventual decision to have Ben come out, and called the plot `` a perfect foundation for years of dramatic conflict '', which would `` no doubt test the filial relationship to the limits. '' The November 2011 storyline which featured Ben 's false molestation accusation against Christian, and Phil 's subsequent attack on him, drew criticism from singer George Michael, who stated that EastEnders 's depiction of homosexuality was `` insulting to the gay community. '' A BBC spokesperson responded, `` EastEnders reflects a wide range of issues. All soap characters face their own trials and tribulations in order to create drama, however EastEnders viewers will know that this is a story about Phil Mitchell who, while struggling with his own relationship with his son, will do anything to protect him. '' On several occasions during his tenure, bookmakers have offered odds on Ben 's storylines. In 2010, William Hill named him the 11 / 4 favourite to be found responsible for the whodunnit murder of Archie Mitchell. The culprit was revealed during the series ' first live episode -- Jones was in third place at 7 / 1 odds to make a mistake during transmission. After Jones ' departure was announced, despite confirmation that the role would be recast, Ben became the favourite to be the next character killed off. See also List of soap opera recasts List of soap opera villains References Jump up ^ Fiaca, Nick ( 28 March 2011 ). `` Ben Mitchell ''. TV Choice. Retrieved 18 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` EastEnders bad boy Ben Mitchell in shock Albert Square exit as Harry Reid leaves the soap after three years ''. The Sun. 2017 - 10 - 02. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 02. Jump up ^ Digital Spyaccess - date = 2017 - 10 - 10. 2017 - 10 - 10 http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a840319/eastenders-petition-save-ben-mitchell-axe/. Text `` title : EastEnders fans launch a petition to save Ben Mitchell from the axe '' ignored ( help ) ; Missing or empty title = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : `` Ben Mitchell ''. What 's on TV. Archived from the original on 14 October 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` More new faces to join EastEnders '' ( Press release ). BBC. 19 January 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Ben Mitchell played by Charlie Jones ''. BBC. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Ben Mitchell played by Charlie Jones ''. BBC. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2011. 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Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 17 / 05 / 2010 ''. BBC. Retrieved 1 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 18 / 05 / 2010 ''. BBC. Retrieved 1 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 20 / 05 / 2010 ''. BBC. Retrieved 1 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Lucas protects his sinister secret ''. What 's on TV. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 24 / 05 / 2010 ''. BBC. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ Green, Kris ( 18 May 2010 ). `` The guilt becomes too much for Ben ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 28 / 05 / 2010 ''. BBC. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` What 's got into Lucas ? ''. What 's on TV. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ Green, Kris ( 6 July 2010 ). `` Ben appears in court ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 30 / 07 / 2010 ''. BBC. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 7 December 2010 ). `` A mystery assailant attacks Glenda ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 06 / 01 / 2011 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 23 / 09 / 2011 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 26 / 09 / 2011 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 12 November 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` 27 / 09 / 2011 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 03 / 10 / 2011 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 12 November 2011. ^ Jump up to : Kilkelly, Daniel ( 20 September 2011 ). `` Phil is branded a racist as he victimises Patrick ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 06 / 10 / 2011 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 07 / 10 / 2011 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 1 November 2011 ). `` Ben misreads the signals with Christian ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 08 / 11 / 2011 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` 10 / 11 / 2011 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Lola offers herself to test Ben 's sexuality ! ''. What 's on TV. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ John Greening ( director ), Pete Lawson ( writer ) ( 22 November 2011 ). `` Episode dated 22 / 11 / 2011 ''. EastEnders. Episode 4,325. BBC. BBC1. Jump up ^ `` 19 / 01 / 2012 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 27 January 2012. Jump up ^ `` 20 / 01 / 2012 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 27 January 2012. Jump up ^ Director : Nicky Higgens ; Executive Producer : Bryan Kirkwood ; Writer : Peter Mattessi ( 23 January 2012 ). `` Episode dated 23 / 01 / 2012 ''. EastEnders. BBC. BBC One. Jump up ^ Director : Rupert Such ; Executive Producer : Lorraine Newman ; Writer : Jesse O'Mahoney ( 25 October 2012 ). `` Episode dated 25 / 10 / 2012 ''. EastEnders. BBC. BBC One. Jump up ^ Wilkes, Neil ( 19 January 2006 ). `` Mitchell kids to return to Walford ''. Digital Spy. Digital Spy Ltd. Retrieved 21 July 2009. Jump up ^ Atkinson, Rebecca ( 11 July 2006 ). `` Big Brother 's ' freak show ' has produced the first warts - and - all disabled person on TV -- when will the soaps follow ? ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 November 2011. Jump up ^ Matthewman, Scott ( 11 July 2006 ). `` More disabled actors, please ''. The Stage. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2011. Jump up ^ Swinbourne, Charlie ( 29 March 2006 ). `` A deaf TV takeover ? ''. BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2011. Jump up ^ Quade, Gemma ( 10 -- 16 July 2010 ). `` Ben is jailed ! ''. TV Mag. London : News Group Newspapers : 7. Jump up ^ Green, Kris ( 9 May 2010 ). `` Two more to leave ' EastEnders ' ''. Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 7 June 2010 ). `` ' EastEnders ' bosses to recast Ben, Lucy ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 June 2010. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 15 October 2010 ). `` ' EastEnders ' new Ben Mitchell revealed ''. Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010. Jump up ^ `` 13 / 12 / 2010 ''. BBC Programmes. Retrieved 17 November 2011. Jump up ^ Maund, Allison ( 4 -- 17 December 2010 ). `` Ben 's back ! ''. Inside Soap ( 48 ) : 22. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` What a difference a year makes ! ''. Inside Soap ( 52 ) : 43. 1 January 2011. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 18 July 2011 ). `` Exclusive : ' EastEnders ' character teasers from exec Bryan Kirkwood ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ EastEnders return for Ben Mitchell confirmed - EastEnders News - Soaps - Digital Spy Jump up ^ Eames, Tom ( 18 July 2014 ). `` EastEnders : Ben Mitchell to be played by newcomer Harry Reid ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 July 2014. Jump up ^ Smith 2005, p. 185. Jump up ^ Smith 2005, pp. 105 -- 06. Jump up ^ Smith 2005, p. 83. Jump up ^ Smith 2005, p. 126. Jump up ^ Lock, Kate ( 2000 ). Who 's Who in EastEnders. BBC Books. p. 19. ISBN 978 - 0 - 563 - 55178 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Phil to the rescue in EastEnder 's £ 1m underwater spectacular ''. Daily Mail. London. 8 May 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2009. Jump up ^ Green, Kris ( 18 May 2007 ). `` Behind the scenes of the ' EastEnders ' crash ''. Digital Spy. Digital Spy Ltd. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` EastEnders ' Ben in £ 1m crash stunt ''. What 's on TV. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Emmerdale trounces EastEnders in the ratings ''. What 's on TV. 18 May 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ Neil, Beth ( 18 July 2007 ). `` My kids do n't watch me being evil Stella... I 'm way too scary ''. Daily Mirror. London. Retrieved 22 July 2009. ^ Jump up to : Green, Kris ( 16 July 2007 ). `` Sophie Thompson ''. Digital Spy. Digital Spy Ltd. Retrieved 22 July 2009. Jump up ^ Goodacre, Kate ( 21 July 2011 ). `` ' EastEnders ' character to come out as gay ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 November 2011. ^ Jump up to : Kilkelly, Daniel ( 22 July 2011 ). `` ' EastEnders ' new gay storyline : Update ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 November 2011. ^ Jump up to : O'Carroll, Lisa ( 22 July 2011 ). `` EastEnders ' Ben Mitchell to come out as gay ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` EastEnders ' Steve : ' Ben is Phil 's worst nightmare ' ''. What 's on TV. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 7 October 2011 ). `` ' EastEnders ' promises long Phil, Ben story ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ Boyle, Simon ( 17 September 2011 ). `` Actress Cheryl Fergison to leave EastEnders after nearly five years ''. Daily Mirror. Retrieved 17 September 2011. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 20 January 2012 ). `` ' EastEnders ' murder details revealed ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 January 2012. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 11 March 2012 ). `` ' Enders death ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 March 2012. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 27 May 2012 ). `` ' EastEnders ' exit for Ben Mitchell confirmed ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 May 2012. Jump up ^ BBC One - EastEnders, 24 / 08 / 2012 Jump up ^ `` EastEnders bad boy Ben Mitchell in shock Albert Square exit as Harry Reid leaves the soap after three years ''. The Sun. 2017 - 10 - 02. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 02. Jump up ^ Digital Spyaccess - date = 2017 - 10 - 10. 2017 - 10 - 10 http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a840319/eastenders-petition-save-ben-mitchell-axe/. Text `` title : EastEnders fans launch a petition to save Ben Mitchell from the axe '' ignored ( help ) ; Missing or empty title = ( help ) Jump up ^ Simon, Jane ( 5 August 2008 ). `` Today 's soaps : Emmerdale and Eastenders ''. Daily Mirror. London. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2009. Jump up ^ `` Corrie 's Soap Awards Win ''. Sky Living. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Welcome to the TVQuick & TVChoice Awards 2007 ! ''. TV Quick. Archived from the original on 2 July 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Fan fury at Ben 's bullying ''. The Sun. London : News Group Newspapers. 31 March 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ Dent, Grace ( 27 February 2007 ). `` Grace Dent 's world of lather ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 July 2009. Jump up ^ Martin, Daniel ( 29 June 2007 ). `` Coronation Street outclasses EastEnders ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 July 2009. Jump up ^ Fletcher, Alex ( 22 January 2009 ). `` Drinking Games : ' EastEnders ' ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 July 2009. Jump up ^ Dent, Grace ( 7 October 2006 ). `` Grace Dent 's world of lather ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 July 2009. Jump up ^ Dent, Grace ( 27 October 2007 ). `` Like a Platt out of hell ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 July 2009. Jump up ^ Dent, Grace ( 13 May 2006 ). `` Grace Dent 's world of lather ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 July 2009. Jump up ^ Dent, Grace ( 26 May 2007 ). `` Grace Dent 's world of lather ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 July 2009. Jump up ^ O'Sullivan, Kevin ( 2 August 2008 ). `` Eastenders manic marry - go - round exposes weak plotlines ''. Daily Mirror. London. Retrieved 21 July 2009. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 11 November 2011 ). `` ' EastEnders ' defends gay storylines after George Michael criticism ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 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External links Ben Mitchell at BBC Online Ben Mitchell on IMDb Ben Mitchell at What 's on TV EastEnders characters Present and future characters Kathy Beale Sharon Watts Ian Beale Michelle Fowler Dot Cotton Martin Fowler James Willmott - Brown Fi Browning Phil Mitchell Sonia Fowler Robbie Jackson Aunt Sal Ben Mitchell Billy Mitchell Rebecca Fowler Patrick Trueman Louise Mitchell Derek Harkinson Jane Beale Stacey Slater Jean Slater Honey Mitchell Denise Fox Libby Fox Max Branning Abi Branning Lauren Branning Janet Mitchell Shirley Carter Jay Brown Jack Branning Will Mitchell Whitney Dean Ryan Malloy Amy Mitchell Kim Fox Glenda Mitchell Lily Branning Ricky Mitchell Cora Cross Dennis Rickman Jnr Tina Carter Linda Carter Mick Carter Johnny Carter Donna Yates Kush Kazemi Vincent Hubbard Pearl Fox - Hubbard Ollie Carter Carmel Kazemi Louie Beale Arthur Fowler Shakil Kazemi Keegan Baker Travis Law - Hughes Gethin Pryce Josh Hemmings Woody Woodward Ted Murray Joyce Murray Tom Bailey Karen Taylor Keanu Taylor Bernadette Taylor Riley Taylor Chatham Taylor Past characters AJ Ahmed Masood Ahmed Della Alexander Johnny Allen Ruby Allen Tom Banks Geoff Barnes Clare Bates Debbie Bates Laurie Bates Nigel Bates Bobby Beale Cindy Beale Laura Beale Lou Beale Lucy Beale Pete Beale Peter Beale Steven Beale Polly Becker Adam Best Manda Best Alice Branning April Branning Bradley Branning Derek Branning Jim Branning Suzy Branning Tanya Branning Aidan Brosnan Diane Butcher Frank Butcher Janine Butcher Liam Butcher Mo Butcher Pat Butcher Ricky Butcher Tiffany Butcher Kelvin Carpenter Tony Carpenter Nancy Carter Stan Carter Zsa Zsa Carter Lorna Cartwright Barry Clark Christian Clarke Paul Coker Richard Cole Julie Cooper Ashley Cotton Charlie Cotton ( 1986 ) Charlie Cotton ( 2014 ) Dotty Cotton Nick Cotton Stella Crawford Rainie Cross Beppe di Marco Bruno and Luisa di Marco Gianni di Marco Rosa di Marco Ray Dixon Jase Dyer Huw Edwards Steve Elliot Nellie Ellis Barry Evans Natalie Evans Roy Evans Fatboy Ferreira family Conor Flaherty Mary Flaherty Fred Fonseca Arthur Fowler Lisa Fowler Mark Fowler Pauline Fowler Ruth Fowler Vicki Fowler Chelsea Fox Joanne Francis Jodie Gold Vanessa Gold Marge Green Mo Harris Nina Harris Dexter Hartman Julie Haye Alex Healy Christine Hewitt Ted Hills Tony Hills Garry Hobbs Lynne Hobbs Lofty Holloway Andy Hunter Alan Jackson Bianca Jackson Billie Jackson Blossom Jackson Carmel Jackson Carol Jackson Naima Jeffery Saeed Jeffery Al Jenkins Greg Jessop Lucas Johnson Danielle Jones Naomi Julien Gita Kapoor Sanjay Kapoor Karim family Yusef Khan Tony King Harold Legg Donna Ludlow Joe Macer Jill Marsden Afia Masood Amira Masood Shabnam Masood Syed Masood Tamwar Masood Zainab Masood Lilly Mattock Josie McFarlane Poppy Meadow Darren Miller Demi Miller Keith Miller Mickey Miller Rosie Miller Rob Minter Archie Mitchell Danny Mitchell Grant Mitchell Jamie Mitchell Kate Mitchell Little Mo Mitchell Peggy Mitchell Ronnie Mitchell Roxy Mitchell Sam Mitchell Tiffany Mitchell Vinnie Monks Alfie Moon Anthony Moon Danny Moon Eddie Moon Jake Moon Michael Moon Nana Moon Spencer Moon Tyler Moon Trevor Morgan Rod Norman Andy O'Brien Mercy Olubunmi Ali Osman Mehmet Osman Sue Osman Melanie Owen Steve Owen Annie Palmer George Palmer Lola Pearce Minty Peterson Frankie Pierre Paul Priestly Irene Raymond Louise Raymond Simon Raymond Terry Raymond Dennis Rickman Binnie Roberts Roly Willy Roper Matthew Rose Colin Russell Mandy Salter Trevor Short Lydia Simmonds Ethel Skinner Charlie Slater Kat Slater Sean Slater Zoe Slater Leon Small Babe Smith Gus Smith Mary Smith Dan Sullivan Gavin Sullivan Dawn Swann Celestine and Etta Tavernier Clyde Tavernier Hattie Tavernier Jules Tavernier Kelly Taylor Heather Trott Anthony Trueman Paul Trueman Yolande Trueman Owen Turner Angie Watts Chrissie Watts Den Watts Wellard Carl White Carly Wicks David Wicks Dean Wicks Joe Wicks Kevin Wicks Lorraine Wicks Simon Wicks Debbie Wilkins Cindy Williams Willy May Wright Lists of characters By year : 1985 1986 2017 Others : Flaherty family Dickens Hill inmates The Banned band members Characters from spin - offs Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben_Mitchell_(EastEnders)&oldid=804991918 '' Categories : EastEnders characters Child characters in television Fictional characters introduced in 1996 Fictional criminals Fictional deaf characters Fictional gay males Fictional stalkers Fictional mechanics Fictional teenage parents Fictional victims of kidnapping Hidden categories : Pages with citations using unnamed parameters Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL EngvarB from April 2014 Use dmy dates from April 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Gaeilge Nederlands Edit links This page was last edited on 12 October 2017, at 11 : 11. 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Question: who does ben have a baby with in eastenders
Answer: Lola Pearce