EastEnders' old Ben Mitchell is FRIENDS with the new one... despite being axed from show and REPLACED with him By Andrew Bullock For Mailonline Published: 14:56 BST, 8 April 2019 | Updated: 15:15 BST, 8 April 2019 Viewcomments Harry Reid was recast as Ben Mitchell in EastEnders last year - seeing him replaced with newcomer Max Bowden. And while this must've been a difficult pill to swallow, it transpires that the young actors are in fact friends! Co-star Jamie Borthwick, who plays Jay in the BBC soap, took to Instagram over the weekend to upload a snap of him with both Harry and Max - all looking more than harmonious together. Ben X Ben: Harry Reid was replaced as Ben Mitchell in EastEnders with Max Bowden. And while this must've been a difficult pill to swallow, it transpires that the young actors are in fact friends Jamie captioned the snap: 'Don’t worry everyone, we’re all friends. So happy I can share this moment with my Ben brother. #BenMitchell #Ben10 @harryreidactor @bowden5.' Fans were reeling from this, clearly surprised that the ousted former-Ben is chummy with his replacement. 'Glad u all getting [on] well [sic],' one person commented. 'I’m certain that this is a picture that everyone was hoping to see. And what a lovely picture it is too,' another remarked. Ben V-VI: The character - who is the son of Phil and Kathy - has been portrayed over the years by six different actors, the most recent being Harry Reid and Max Bowden 'I miss @harryreidactor as Ben ❤️ but oh well this pic made me feel much better now welcome to the family @bowden5 [sic],' another posted. A fourth added: 'Great pic @jamie_b10 I think @bowden5 is great as Ben. Lovely to see @harryreidactor with you both.' Some had to do a double-take, likening the moment to when Doctor Who regenerates. Many also called for Harry to return to the role, claiming 'there is only one Ben'. When Harry left EastEnders, it appeared to be amid some confusion. The actor was allegedly assured there wouldn't be a recast, but was then told otherwise a week before it was announced by the BBC. He told Digital Spy at the time: 'They told me that they were going to recast him about a week before it was announced. To be honest, I was shocked because I didn't expect that they were going to recast the role. 'I was told that they weren't going to recast. But at the same time, it didn't upset me, which is what a lot of the fans are saying. Max - the new Ben - cropped up for the first time last month. The character - who is the son of Phil and Kathy - has been portrayed over the years by six different actors. Ben was born on an episode of the soap on on 21 March 1996, portrayed by Matthew Silver between 1996 and 1998. The part then went to Morgan Whittle, who played Ben as a toddler between 1999 and 2001. The character didn't feature in EastEnders after that for five years, but returned in 2006 with Charlie Jones in the role. Ben was replaced again in 2010 by Joshua Pascoe, until 2012. The character disappeared again until 2014, with Harry in the part. Ben was then written out of the show Harry in early 2018. The character was reintroduced in March 2019, with the role recast once again, with Max in the part. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility