Eastenders' Ben Mitchell is back - and being played by another new actor

Charlie Jones, Joshua Pascoe, Max Bowden and Harry Reid (l-r) have all had the role (the other two were babies)

Every now and again, you might notice a new mole or maybe even an extra wrinkle popping up on your brow.

But it's unlikely you've ever looked in the mirror and seen a completely different person staring back at you.

If you're Ben Mitchell from Walford though, that's becoming an all too familiar feeling.

Max Bowden will be the sixth person to play the EastEnders character, so how do soaps get away with putting a new face to familiar names?

Ben Mitchell last appeared in January 2018 before fleeing the country, but will return later this year played by Max Bowden

"It's quite extreme," says TV critic Emma Bullimore.

"You have to take soaps with a pinch of salt. They usually have about 20 people who live in the same house and all know each other way too well... But we don't usually get to the sixth face of a character."

Ben Mitchell first appeared in 1996, played by Matthew Silver. Are you telling us you don't remember Matthew his unforgettable turn as 'infant Ben', before Morgan Whittle took charge for the toddler era?

"Sometimes a child actor grows up and isn't a particularly good actor, doesn't look how they want them to look or might have other commitments," Emma adds.

"On paper it is ridiculous but somehow it's become an accepted convention of soaps."

'Ben isn't anyone's favourite'

The EastEnders team would have a tougher time replacing Phil Mitchell, played by Steve McFadden since 1990, or Shane Richie's Alife Moon

This of course isn't the first time EastEnders - or any soap - has re-invented a character.

"If you're buying into the idea that EastEnders is made up of a community then obviously people do come and go, that's the nature of it," Emma says.

"But if you were trying to recast Phil Mitchell, a legend of that soap, people wouldn't accept it.

"I don't think Ben Mitchell is anyone's favourite. I think people will roll with it quite quickly."

EastEnders' senior executive producer Kate Oates has explained there were never plans to write him out of the show.

"A character like Ben, with his rich history, 'complicated' family and complex psychology, is pure gold," she says.

"We will be exploring aspects of Ben's character that have been allowed to develop during his time away."

Emma agrees, suggesting it's "harder to establish a brand new character than bring someone back".

"Ben means something to all the characters he interacted with before so can slot back in without loads of awkward introduction scenes."

'Sometimes it goes wrong'

Max Bowen has said the role is "beyond exciting", but the announcement's been met with a mixed response.

Some fans suggested he "doesn't even look like" the fictional 20 something, while others compared the character to Dr Who - asking if he's "some kind of time lord".

But some think Ben "should be given a chance".

Jenna Russell took over as Michelle Fowler in 2016, 11 years after Susan Tully played her

Emma Bullimore thinks other soap reincarnations, like Coronation Street's Nick Tilsley swapping from Adam Rickett to Ben Price, worked well but some "haven't quite worked".

She says Jenna Russell taking over from Susan Tully as EastEnders' Michelle Fowler "was just too weird".

"That just didn't really work from the off because Susan Tully was so iconic and she came back as a completely different person.

"Sometimes it does go wrong."

The critic is holding out hope for Max Bowen's time on Albert Square, but she's not entirely convinced.

"His Ben Mitchell will have a stint but I wouldn't say this will definitely be the last one.

"I can totally see there being another one."

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