EastEnders fans think they’ve worked out how Ben Mitchell will be leaving Walford – after some very dark and violent scenes in tonight’s episode.
Viewers saw Ben naively question boyfriend, Luke Browning, about a card that fell out of his wallet which was marked up ‘Project Dagmar’.
Read more: Luke attacks Ben in shocking EastEnders scenes
Recognising the name as the bar where his mum was raped by Luke’s dad, James Willmott-Brown, Ben asked Luke what it meant – but was unprepared for the extreme reaction he got.
After asking Luke if it had anything to do with Kathy, Luke told Ben to drop it.
But Ben persisted, saying: “If it’s got something to do with my mum then I have a right to know.”
And Luke lost it.
First he verbally abused Ben, accusing him of going through his things. When Ben tried to argue back, an incensed Luke told him not to speak to him like that, before slamming him up against a car by his throat.
He then held him there, watching as Ben struggled for breath, only letting him go at the last minute.
Luke then told a stunned Ben that they should stop seeing each other and that they’d had their fun and should go their separate ways, before leaving Ben struggling for breath in the Arches.
Enders fans quickly reacted on Twitter…
We know that in next week’s episodes Luke gets even more violent when he tries to make things up to Ben by sending him an expensive sports car to say sorry.
But Luke is left feeling humiliated and angry when Ben rejects him and ends up brutally beating him up.
While we wouldn’t like to be in Luke’s posh shoes when Phil finds out – he’s been dying to give his baseball bat an outing – we’re also wondering if Luke kills Ben.
Read more: EastEnders viewers in tears as Taylor favourite is forced out of Walford
It was announced that actor Harry Reid was leaving the soap in October, after playing Ben for three years.
Fans haven’t taken the news well, with some even petitioning to keep him on the soap.
Harry recently spoke out about his rather sudden departure from Walford, admitting on Sunday Brunch that he didn’t see it coming.