EastEnders has confirmed an emotional eating disorder storyline for Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) which will see him struggle with bulimia.
Over the past year, Ben has faced a number of devastating events that has had a detrimental effect on his mental health. But Ben's world is set to come crashing down as he desperately tries to stay strong for his family while terminally ill Lola Pearce-Brown's (Danielle Harold) health worsens.
As Ben battles to take control, his mental health spirals and he starts to restrict parts of his lifestyle, particularly exercise and food.
Throughout the storyline, we will see Ben hide his eating disorder from his loved ones as he suffers in silence by imposing heavier restrictions on his diet, as well as bingeing and purging in secret.
EastEnders has worked closely with leading charity Beat on the storyline to ensure it is portrayed as accurately and as sensitively as possible.
Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer said of the storyline: “It was vital for us to work alongside Beat to accurately present, and sensitively portray Ben’s bulimia storyline. Max’s [Bowden] performance has thoughtfully portrayed the isolating reality of an eating disorder with compassion and understanding as we explore how the traumatic events of Ben’s past have affected his mental health.”
Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs at Beat added: “1 in 4 people with an eating disorder are men, but it's rare to see storylines that show how men are affected by these serious mental illnesses.
"At Beat we welcome that EastEnders has chosen to highlight this important issue and we've been pleased to review scripts, to help ensure bulimia is represented in a sensitive and accurate way. We hope that Ben's story will help to raise awareness of the warning signs and encourage people to reach out for the support they need.”
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.
