SHOCKING NEWS!!! EastEnders star Max Bowden breaks silence on why he left the show

EastEnders star Max Bowden, who played Ben Mitchell on the soap, has broken his silence on why

he left the show.

Speaking on The Lewis Nicholls Show on YouTube, Bowden, who played the most recent incarnation of

Ben between 2019 and 2024, said he was experiencing burnout and “it was time for a rest.”

Asked if he was sacked or chose to walk away from the show, Bowden told Nicholls: “The important thing was my time was ready. I was very tired, and like I said, I wasn’t me, I wasn’t.

ben mitchell, eastenders

Related: EastEnders airs Tommy Moon twist after Alfie’s warning

“The Max sat in front of you today was kind of a ghost, and they recognised that – I recognised that,” he added.

On the burnout he experienced, he said: “I did nearly six hundred episodes in five years, which is a hell of a lot, and it was time for a rest. The character was tired, I was tired, they [the producers] were probably tired of me being tired.

“From an honest perspective, I think yeah, a lot of it was that I needed to go for a bit. I needed to go work on me, get myself back to a place of really good mental health, focus on healing and also be a dad.”

lola pearce, ben mitchell, eastenders

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

Related: EastEnders star Patsy Palmer reunites with co-stars amid return rumours

Despite his departure from Walford, Max revealed he is still in touch with producers and has even discussed a possible return.

Opening up about a difficult final year on the soap, Bowden said it was “life imitating art to an extent” after his best friend died of a brain tumour.

On-screen, Bowden was filming scenes with Danielle Harold, whose character Lola Pearce was dying of a brain tumour.

“It laid a lot out on the table, and it exposed me to a lot of vulnerability which probably at the time I didn’t navigate well,” he said.

“It was a tough old time, but you know what, I’m a hell of a lot stronger for it,” Bowden said. “That was definitely the hardest period of my professional life.”

Related articles

MASSIVE SHOCK This EastEnders guest star was rejected by the BBC soap 37 years ago

A new EastEnders guest star has revealed she was previously rejected by the soap 37 years ago. Shazia Mirza appears in today’s episode of the BBC soap as Dr Ayub,…

HOT NEWS ALERT! Huge EastEnders drugs twist in early BBC iPlayer release as two favourites reel

Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) has started his drug dealing again… and two Walford residents have already clocked on. In the wake of Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) robbing from the family’s businesses,…

BIG SAD NEWS !! Goodbye, Clair Norris! | EastEnders

After eight unforgettable years lighting up Albert Square as Bernadette “Bernie” Taylor, Clair Norris has officially wrapped her final scenes on EastEnders. It’s an emotional farewell not…

OMG SHOCKING!!! EastEnders new Queen Vic landlady ‘sealed’ and and it’s not Kat Moon

EastEnders enthusiasts reckon they’ve sussed out the next owner of The Queen Vic as the pub is put on the market. After Elaine Knights’ (Harriet Thorpe) unexpected…

SHOCKING NEWS JUST DROPPED! EastEnders announces huge news about past character in early iPlayer release

EastEnders has confirmed a huge life update for former character Ash Panesar, in heartwarming news. In the second episode of today’s double bill, Eve spotted an unexpected announcement…

TV shake-up Full list of soap schedule changes as EastEnders is off air for EIGHT days – is your favourite show affected?

THE soaps look set to be rocked by a slew of schedule shake-ups over the next few weeks with various summer sporting events blowing the usual programming…