Pride of Walford
Stacey Dooley looks back at some of the Square’s LGTBQ+ characters
It’s surprising that the Pride celebrations only came to Walford for the first time last year, as Stacey Dooley is here to remind us that EastEnders has featured some pioneering gay characters over the years.
But before she takes a look through the archives in Secrets from the Square, she’s meeting up with actors Max Bowden and Tony Clay, aka the latest regeneration of Ben Mitchell and Callum Highway.
As an on-screen couple, they’ve become so popular, fans have even given them a nickname – “Ballum”. Here, they’ll be talking about their most memorable scenes and the stories behind them.
Max offers an insight into the secretive casting process, as he reveals that he didn’t know he was auditioning for the role of Ben. Luckily, he shouldn’t have been too intimidated when he found out, as he first worked with his on-screen dad, Steve McFadden, when he was child.
Tony also remembers his early days in the soap, including the bowl cut and beanie hat that used to form Callum’s signature style. So, he might be secretly relieved when Stacey turns her attention to some of the characters who paved the way for “Ballum”, including Colin and Barry, Binnie and Della, and Christian and Syed. Then, for the classic episode, we’re going all the way back to the heady, faraway days of 2019, and Walford’s first Pride.
As regular viewers may or may not remember, Callum ended up helping out, but was left embarrassed when Stuart revealed he’d seen him kissing Ben the night before. Karen wanted to make it an event to remember for Bernadette, even if her daughter wasn’t in the mood, and Kat held a meeting.