Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) will struggle to come to terms with additional hearing loss in EastEnders, as the character suffered a head injury during the dramatic events of the serial drama’s 35th anniversary week.
With nemesis Keanu (Danny Walters) having taken Callum (Tony Clay) hostage, Ben was determined to do whatever it took to get his boyfriend back home safe and sound, but getting dad Phil (Steve McFadden) involved proved to be a huge mistake, as the Mitchell hard-man’s desire for revenge saw chaos ensue on board the party boat on the Thames.
Keanu and Ben got into a fight and they both ended up in the Thames as a result, and — upon emerging from the water — Ben suffered a head injury, as his head collided with the boat.
Afterwards, he struggled to hear what was going on, and it was subsequently revealed that the character will struggle to come to terms with additional hearing loss, as EastEnders has been working closely with the National Deaf Children’s Society to ensure the storyline is portrayed as accurately as possible.
As part of the storyline, Walford is set to welcome Rose Ayling-Ellis, a deaf actress who will play a new deaf character called Frankie. This storyline will explore what it means to be deaf in the UK today.
Chief Executive of national disability charity, Sense, Richard Kramer has praised the BBC One serial drama, saying: ‘We’re really pleased to see one of the nation’s favourite shows, EastEnders, introduce a new storyline exploring the experiences and challenges deaf people face. Congratulations to Rose Ayling-Ellis on becoming the first deaf actress to join the iconic soap.’
‘We currently see far too little representation of disabled people and disability issues in the mainstream media. This is a huge amount of people who don’t see themselves, their stories or life experiences reflected in the shows they love.’
‘We hope that the move by the BBC will encourage other broadcasters and programmes to follow suit.’
EastEnders continues Monday 24 February at 8pm on BBC One.
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