EastEnders' Joshua Pascoe quizzed over sex assault

EastEnders' Joshua Pascoe quizzed over sex assault
EastEnders' Joshua Pascoe quizzed over sex assault (Image credit: BBC)

EastEnders actor Joshua Pascoe has reportedly been arrested and questioned by police over allegations of sexual assault. According to the Mirror the 16-year-old, who plays troubled Ben Mitchell in the soap, was freed on bail after being quizzed. A Metropolitan police spokesman told the paper, "A 16-year-old boy was arrested on May 24 in connection with an allegation of sexual assault. "He was taken to Islington Police Station and has since been bailed to return to a North London police station in July pending further inquiries." A spokesman for the soap said they were "aware of the allegations" and added, "Given that there is a police investigation underway, it would not be appropriate to comment at this time." A source told The Sun that Joshua's mother had been left "distraught" by the teenager's arrest. "He's only 16, so it's very upsetting for the whole family," the insider added. Joshua is the fourth actor to play Ben Mitchell, who is Phil's son - and has had a troubled life which saw him abused by Phil's girlfriend Stella when he was younger. Since then he has spent time in juvenile detention, kidnapped shopkeeper Patrick Trueman, attacked Glenda Mitchell and tried to frame his father for murder. More recently he murdered Heather Trott after raiding her house for money - and recently confessed his crime to Ian Beale. Joshua was nominated for Villain Of The Year at the recent British Soap Awards, but lost out to Coronation Street's Andrew Lancel, who played Frank Foster.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.