LIFE is somewhat back to normal for Ben Mitchell, months following his rape ordeal.
But the mechanic played by Max Bowden is thrown into a horrific spiral when he gets news about Lewis Butler in EastEnders.
With Lola Pearce set for an emotional exit, Ben Mitchell has been trying to be as supportive as he can for the mother of his daughter Lexi.
In recent months, the Walford resident began to experience financial woes and refused to ask anybody for help.
Ben tried to impress his famously miserable father Phil Mitchell by becoming more involved in the local boxing scene.
However, in scenes airing next week on BBC One, just as he’s about to climb up on the ring, Ben faces another potential fight with his inner demons.
It all begins when he gets ready for his upcoming match with Martin Fowler (portrayed by James Bye).
Eager to throw a few punches, Ben is convinced he’s going to win and brags to everyone that is willing to listen to him.
Callum Highway (Tony Clay) on the other hand tries desperately to stop his husband from fighting but Ben won’t listen.
Things go from bad to worse and Ben’s hubris gets a huge blow when a plain-clothed police officer approaches him with news regarding Lewis Butler.
Ben is shaken to the core when the copper tells him Lewis has been arrested for rape again.
Back at The Boxing Den, the gym Sharon Watts recently renamed as a tribute to her late son Denis Rickman Jr., Callum arrives to find Ben limbering up and tells him he knows about Lewis.
Once again, Callum implores Ben to reconsider fighting but he’s ignored.
Ben heads into the ring, ready to face Martin full of pent-up rage.
Could Martin get seriously hurt as a result?
While that remains to be seen, Ben’s mental well-being becomes a growing cause for concern when Callum worries about him bottling his feelings again.
But Ben’s mother Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) soon gets involved, ready to nip everything in the bud before he spirals.
She catches up with him and pleads with him to lean on Callum and get the support he needs – will Ben listen?
Fans of the London-based program will remember that Ben was raped after a drunken evening by former Prince Albert manager Lewis Butler.
The scenes were aired in 2022 and led to a plethora of Ofcom complaints.
On-screen, however, the assault pushed Ben into a downward spiral as he struggled to cope with the reality of being a rape survivor.
Everything you need to know about Eastenders
Ben most notably tried to numb his pain with drugs and even overdosed.
He eventually told the truth to his mother Kathy who got the ball rolling from then on – she told his father Phil about his attack and Ben’s family did all they could to support him.
At the time, Ben’s marriage with Callum had broken down due to his cheating but, upon learning the truth about Lewis, the copper tried to mend their relationship.
Lewis was reported to the police for his actions but was then released.
Ben was eventually given the chance to face him in August, 2022, when his aunt Sam kidnapped Lewis.
While many were hoping for him to get his revenge, Ben refused to let his dark side make an appearance and scared Lewis off enough to make him leave the Square altogether.
Could Ben help in the new case against Lewis?
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
