EastEnders’ Ben Mitchell star looks unrecognisable 13 years after leaving soap
REMEMBER the fresh-faced lad with specs who played the young Ben Mitchell in EastEnders?
Although not the first, or last, to play Phil’s son in the soap, Charlie Jones made his mark as one of the longest serving actor in the role.
Charlie took on the role of the 10-year-old in 2006, when the character returned to Albert Square following the “death” of mum Kathy Beale – who later turned out to be alive and kicking.
His most memorable storyline was the physical and mental abuse he suffered at the hands of his dad Phil’s girlfriend, Stella Crawford.
After he spilled the beans on the couple’s wedding day. Stella (played by Sophie Thompson) took her own life by throwing herself off a roof.
Ben subsequently went off the rails, burning sister Louise’s arm and attacking bully Jordan with a spanner – a move that got him locked up for eight months in 2010.
When he returned eight months later, Ben had morphed into Joshua Pascoe and then Harry Reid.
Since 2018, the character has been portrayed by Max Bowden.
But child star Charlie hasn’t given up acting.
Now 26, Charlie studied acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts and appeared in hit BBC drama Noughts + Crosses in 2020.
He also had a small role in 2020 Christmas film, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey.
Most prominently, he took on the role of DC Samuel Goldie in ITV detective series McDonald & Dodds.
Here’s what his screen sister Louise looks like now she’s all grown up and what happened to Lucy Beale actress Melissa Suffield.