Fans THRILLED after unexpectedly spotting THIS former star in last night's EastEnders

EastEnders logo

There was a blast from the past in last night's EastEnders... did you spot it?

Last night's EastEnders saw Phil Mitchell on a mission to make son Ben spill the beans about what really happened the night that he was attacked and left for dead in The Arches.

But while the episode was jam-packed with brilliant scenes between actors Steve McFadden (Phil) and Max Bowden (Ben) fans were more excited about the fact that old Ben made an appearance in the soap.

As EastEnders fans know, Ben Mitchell has had many faces over the years and last night saw Phil looking at an old photo of his wayward son before he confronted him about his lies.

Fans were thrilled to see a photo of Charlie Jones, the actor who played Ben nearly a decade ago (Picture: BBC)

Fans were thrilled to see a photo of Charlie Jones, the actor who played Ben nearly a decade ago (Picture: BBC)

But instead of using a childhood photo of actor Max Bowden, they instead addressed the fact Ben has got a constantly changing image by using a picture of the actor who played the role nine years ago, Charlie Jones.

Fans were thrilled by this unexpected trip down memory lane and took to social media to share their excitement...

Fans were also full of praise for the scenes between Ben and Phil, as the former alcoholic Phil threatened to down vodka as a way of getting his son to talk.

His plan worked a treat as Ben knew that one sip of the alcohol could kill his dad, and eventually he confessed everything... from the fact he was tempted to kill him in the hospital, to framing Keanu for his attack, and even that he returned to Walford to fleece Phil for all he had.

Phil wants answers from Kat in EastEnders

Phil demanded the truth from Kat last night (Picture: BBC)

With the truth finally out in the open, Phil understandably saw red and threw his son out, but only after revealing that the vodka that he was drinking was actually plain old water!

MORE: Fans are calling for THIS controversial couple to be reunited 

Having been disowned by his dad, Ben had nowhere to go apart from round to the Slaters to share some menacing words with Kat.

EastEnders Ben Mitchell

What will Ben's next move be? (Picture: BBC)

But while he might have made it clear that Stacey should stay away from the Square for the foreseeable... what will be Ben's next step?

Should Phil start sleeping with one eye open, or is Ben's plan for revenge well and truly over?

EastEnders airs Monday and Friday at 8pm and Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.

Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia. 

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz! 

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.