Ben will now be played by Max Bowden who is taking over the role on the BBC soap from Harry Reid.
Phil Mitchell’s son left Walford in a hurry for France after trying to pinch Aidan Maguire’s (Patrick Bergin) heist money.
But when he comes back to EastEnders, there may be a shake-up in his love life.
Ben came out as gay several years ago and was involved in a committed relationship with Paul Coker (Jonny Labey), who was sadly murdered in a horrific homophobic attack.
We might well see Ben with a love interest
Kate Oates
Although he has not had a long-lasting relationship since, Ben may see love blossom in his future according to new soap boss Kate Oates.
Kate has teased that the Ben viewers will see on his return has a changed attitude towards his own sexuality.
She told Metro: “What we bring back is a Ben who is a lot more confident and comfortable with his sexuality. We saw him get to a certain point where he embraced his sexuality but there were still times when he was uncomfortable with calling Paul his boyfriend and that kind of thing.
“We might well see Ben with a love interest – I think it
