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EASTENDERS spoilers reveal longtime foes Phil and Ian will unite to try and save Ben Mitchell from his prison nightmare.

Ben - most recently played by Max Bowden - was jailed in the US earlier this year, leaving behind husband Callum (Tony Clay) and daughter Lexi (Isabella Brown).

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Ben Mitchell was sent to prison in America earlier this year - leaving fans heartbrokenCredit: BBC
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Spoilers reveal Ben's family's efforts to help him, including his father PhilCredit: BBC
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Kathy has been away visiting her jailed son in AmericaCredit: BBC

In scenes yet to air, Ben's father Phil (Steve McFadden) and half-brother Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) are shown to be working together to help their shared loved one.

It comes as Kathy (Gillian Taylforth) returns from a trip to America, telling Phil that their son is in a bad way.

She adds that Ian has stayed behind to help secure a better lawyer for Ben.

Meanwhile, Kathy also asks her ex-husband to put all of his efforts into helping Ben's appeal.

Read more on EastEnders

In scenes aired in March, the young mechanic was stunned as police arrested him under an international warrant.

His charges related to a trip to America last year, having gone on a desperate attempt to get dying Lola Pearce onto a drugs trial, unsuccessfully.

It emerged that Ben's credit cards had been blocked.

Instead of legally sorting it, he simply stole someone else’s card and spent thousands on hotel bills, car rental and a business class flight home.

While Ben begged solicitor Ritchie (Sian Webber) to help, she warned him he could face up to six years in an American prison for what he’d done.

EastEnders viewers were later left furious by the fallout of Ben's exit, claiming the character had been 'forgotten'.

I've missed that!' say EastEnders fans as Phil Mitchell goes on angry rampage - before three newcomers arrive in Walford

Passionate fans noted how Callum and daughter Lexi hadn't mentioned him being missing too much.

Quick to comment, one wrote: "Callum isn't very upset over Ben, I expected some heartfelt missing him emotion and sadness #EastEnders @bbceastenders even him taking time to compose and take it in."

Another added: "I feel like Callum has totally got over Ben & his sentencing.

"He seems way too normal for someone who has lost his husband to 6 years in prison on the other side of the world."

Most complained about soap storylines

Over the years, all three of the main soaps have featured plots that have had even die-hard fans reaching for their phones and laptops so they can get in touch with Ofcom and complain. Here are just some of the most scandalous...

  • EastEnders baby theft: 13,400 Ofcom complaints - Back in 2011, EastEnders was flooded with complaints when Ronnie Branning (RIP) swapped her baby for the dead son of Kat Moon. The storyline drew the most number of objections in the soap’s long history and saw it roundly criticised by campaigners - with 13,400 flying in over the course of the storyline. Some viewers called it “distressing” and “horrific” but Ofcom ruled the scenes were not "unduly disturbing”.
  • Emmerdale dog-napping: 550 Ofcom complaints - Back in 2016, Ross Barton and Charity Dingle came up with a plan to steal a dog and hold it ransom - but viewers didn’t like it one bit. The nation’s pet owners rose up, insisting the storyline would encourage copycats (not to mention copydogs). Complaints over two episodes totalled a staggering 550 and soap writers quickly learnt you don’t mess with animal-lovers.
  • Coronation Street double murder: 546 Ofcom complaints - Marginally less people complained about a gruesome double murder than objected to a dog-napping plot when Pat Phelan was at the centre of a spate of killings. First he forced Andy Carver to shoot dead Vinny Ashford - and then Pat killed Andy. All the bloodshed back in 2017 proved to be too much for some viewers, who lodged complaints in vast numbers about the “violent scenes”.
  • As a third superfan shared a more harsh approach, as they remarked: "Why haven't they shown Callum/Lexi dealing with their grief over losing Ben?

    "We haven't seen any aftermath for them at all. Why does everything have to revolve around Jay?

    READ MORE SUN STORIES

    "Lexi and Callum seem to exist only to advance his storylines nowadays and it’s p***ing me off."

    EastEnders airs on BBC One and is available to watch on iPlayer.

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    Ian is also in the case, staying in America to find a better lawyer for his half-brotherCredit: BBC
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