Spoiler warning for Tuesday 26th March 2024.

By Laura Denby

Published: Tuesday, 26 March 2024 at 10:20 AM


*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Tuesday 26th March’s EastEnders, which was made available on BBC iPlayer at 6am.*

Callum Highway (Tony Clay) was left devastated in the latest edition of EastEnders, when he realised that his husband, Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), was indeed guilty of fraud.

Ben was arrested for the crime in the middle of Callum’s birthday bash, and just before the police took him away, Ben promised his other half that he was innocent.

After initial doubts, Callum was won over by this declaration, leading him to defend Ben to the rest of their clan.

At the police station, Ben protested that he shouldn’t be there, insisting that he should be back at his husband’s party.

Lawyer Ritchie Scott (Sian Webber) arrived at Phil’s (Steve McFadden) request, and she privately listed Ben’s misdeeds, which took place in America last year.

Ben and Kathy standing outside looking concerned
Ben is in trouble.
BBC

Among Ben’s crimes was credit card theft, and he had used said card to buy a hotel stay, petrol and food while he desperately sought out treatment for Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold) that was never going to happen.

It was clear that Ben had been busted bang to rights, as Ritchie warned him he was looking at jail time.

Back on Albert Square, mum Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) and adoptive brother Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) expressed their fury over Ben.

 

As Callum ranted at Jay’s disloyalty and reminded both him and Phil of their own recent behaviour, Ben’s daughter Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) walked in and demanded the truth.

Callum assured Lexi that Ben was merely helping the police out, and that perhaps he had been mistakenly caught up in someone else’s crime.

But when Ritchie arrived, and a show-stealing scene from young star Brown saw Lexi expertly order her to start talking, Ben’s betrayals came to light.

Ben sat in a jail cell on the phone
Will Ben do time?
BBC

It dawned on Callum that Ben had lied to him, and Lexi also knew her dad must be guilty. Phil then took a call from Ben, who urged his dad to do him a favour, as he simply refused to be separated from Lexi. But what is Ben asking of Phil?

In upcoming scenes, Callum refuses to visit Ben at the station, but after a chat with Phil, the detective decides to use his profession to his advantage. But how will Ben and Callum’s story end as actor Bowden’s untimely exit looms?

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