EASTENDERS fans reckon Ben Mitchell will ask Callum Highway to MARRY him next week.
The frenzied online speculation comes after the show teased that the Albert Square bad boy – played by Max Bowden – will make a ‘grand gesture’ to his man on Friday November 8.
Next week in the BBC soap sees the return of Pam Coker (Lin Blakley), the gran of Ben’s late ex Paul, to the square and her arrival sets off a series of emotions for the troubled Mitchell.
While Ben is thrilled to see her, he feels awkward when she meets his new love interest Callum (Tony Clay) and downplays who he is.
Callum is left feeling gutted when Ben introduces him as a friend.
Ben attempts to make it up to him when Jay decides to step away from Coker’s funeral business and he jumps at the chance to step into pal’s job.
Believing it will help Callum make more money, Ben is excited to tell his man the news, but Callum’s reacion is not what he expected.
Later, Ben has an emotional heart to heart with Pam about Paul and she urges him to grab his chance for happiness with Callum.
With Pam’s words ringing in his ears, the official description of next Friday’s episode teases that Ben then makes a “grand gesture” to his fella.
And now Ben and Callum’s devoted fanbase – who refer to the couple as Ballum – have been enjoying a guessing game on social media about what that surprise could be.
“I wonder if Ben proposes to Callum,” pondered one viewer on twitter.
Another tweeted a ‘spoiler’ account, asking: “Any big scenes coming up in the next few weeks for Ballum or proposal maybe and do u no lees return story is really looking forward I that.”
A third posted: “i really think ben will get the job then callum won’t be happy and then he will propose or change the name of the directors to have callums surname.”
A fourth theorised: “Pam’s return…… I hope it has something to do with Ben and Callum. Ben fighting his feelings for Callum after the ILY, Pam showing up and telling him to move on and Ben getting back with Callum and the proposal. #ballum.”
And a fifth said: “Theres already been a gay wedding in EastEnders.. Syed and Christian but yeah I would like to see Callum and Ben propose at the same time.”
Ben and Callum first met back in April when Ben returned to the Square. Callum was with Whitney Dean at the time and in the closet but Ben soon sensed something was troubling him.
After weeks of sexual tension, the pair hooked up in a park in the dead of night back in June.
But the encounter led a terrified Callum to pop the question to Whit in a bid to suppress his true feelings.
The night before his wedding, however, Callum confessed to his fiance that he had cheated with Ben and she called off the nuptials mid-ceremony.
When Ben was then shot by Hunter Owen, Callum realised his true feelings for the dodgy dealer.
And after a string of near-miss dates, Callum finally came out to the Square- and his homophobic dad – earlier this month.
Since then Callum and Ben’s relationship has been going from strength to strength but Callum is still in the dark about Ben’s criminal behaviour.