ITS an emotional time for Ben Mitchell in EastEnders next week as Pam Coker gran of dead boyfriend Paul arrives back in Walford.
Pam whos played by returning star Lin Blakely pops up on the Square leading Jay Brown and Lola Pearce to hatch a plan to surprise Ben.
It’s an emotional time for Ben Mitchell in EastEnders next week as Pam Coker gran of dead boyfriend Paul arrives back in Walford
Ben (Max Bowden) is delighted to see her but, feels awkward with new love interest Callum Highway (Tony Clay) and downplays who he is. Callum is left feeling gutted.
But he makes up for it later when Jay decides its time to step back from Cokers and Ben jumps at the opportunity to help Callum make more money. He steps into Jays job.
Ben is disappointed when he reveals his idea to Callum though and doesnt get the reaction he expected.
Later, Pam and Ben have an emotional heart to heart about Paul and everything thats happened since he died.
Her reappearance will cause tension between Ben and Callum
Pam urges Ben to take a chance to grab happiness with Callum and later, struck by Pams words, Ben makes a grand gesture.
Paul played by X Factor star Jonny Labey – and Ben fell in love back in 2015, with Paul being Bens first real love – and viewers were obsessed with their relationship.
However, when exec producer Sean O’Connor joined the soap in 2016 he killed Paul off in a tragic – and brutal – homophobic attack, leaving Ben and fans devastated.
Opening up about his shock departure from Walford, Jonny said: “A new producer came on and he made some bold decisions.
“Often when a new producer comes on they try to change things around, and unfortunately I was a part of that decision.”
Pam gives Ben her blessing to be happy with his new man
The curly-haired hunk continued to The Daily Star: “To millions of EastEnders fans I am dead.
“Now they are digging me back up again. X Factor is the biggest show on TV so I jumped on board.
“Its being pinned as a life changing opportunity. This is such an incredible platform.”
Despite being axed three years ago, Paul still remains a huge part of EastEnders today and fans were heartbroken earlier this year when Ben revealed that he is still grieving for his late love.
The East End bad boy was found curled up in Paul’s old bedroom as Whitney and Halfway threw a housewarming party after buying the Coker family’s old flat in June.
How will Callum handle Pam’s return?
Sobbing as he clutched a pillow to his chest, Ben told Halfway: “This was his room. I had my first time in here, we spent our first proper night together in here.
“I haven’t done that since… Just sleep and hold.
“I didn’t meant to fall in love with Paul, I didn’t want to fall in love with blokes at all, but it don’t work like that.
“I spent so long just trying to be someone else and then it hits you, it just goes bang.
“You can’t fight it, you’ve just got to let it take you.”
He then held up his left hand to show off his ring finger, which he’d previously tattooed Paul’s name onto, adding: “I got his tattoo removed. I just burnt it off, gone.
“Before I met him I was so lonely… Just feeling dead inside. And then you’re with someone like Paul and there you are… There you are.
“I would give my life for just one of them last seconds.”
