EastEnders' 'Ballum' could be on the road to heartbreak after it was announced that Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) would be leaving the Square, throwing the future of his relationship with husband Callum Highway (Tony Clay) into question.
Ben and Callum have overcome many obstacles in their relationship over the past year and are now as strong as ever. But could Ben's exit mean the end of 'Ballum' for good?
The couple have proven they can get through anything and are constantly reunited throughout their hardships, so it's hard to believe that their relationship could come to an end.
However, anything can happen in EastEnders and a brutal split between them could lead to Ben's exit.
Could the return of Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) possibly jeopardise Ben and Callum's relationship? Ben and Johnny have history on the Square after they had a one-night stand on Ben's 21st birthday.
Although they decided that they were just friends after their fling, could some surprise feelings bubble to the surface? Or could Johnny possibly set his sights on Ben's husband Callum?
It's possible that the couple may not break up at all and will instead see Callum leave alongside Ben to start afresh somewhere else and escape all the bad memories of Walford.
Troubled Ben has faced a number of devastating mental health battles throughout his time on the Square. He was sexually assaulted, suffered an overdose, was the victim of a homophobic attack and has recently been struggling with bulimia following the death of Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold).
After everything they've been through, it's understandable that they may want to get away from it all and have their happy ending away from Albert Square.
Ben has also made many enemies over the years, alongside his gangster father Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). Although we find it hard to believe, could the couple be forcefully ripped apart in tragic circumstances and possibly see Ben killed?
Or could one of Ben's enemies target Callum and the heartbreak becomes too much for Ben to cope with?
Whatever happens, we hope Ben and Callum's long-standing relationship survives.
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
