‘Team Ballum always’ declared Sarah Kent on Metro Soaps’ Facebook, underneath an article detailed the final nail being driven into the Ballum coffin in EastEnders, as Callum Highway (Tony Clay) and Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) finally ended their marriage.
‘Johnny to me is the type that will eventually leave him. Ben loves Callum and Callum loves Ben, so why destroy the only sound marriage? Wake up Callum, You know where your heart truly is and it’s not with Johnny,’ Alan Anderson lamented on the demise of the fan favourite couple.
‘They cant split Ben and Callum up, they are the best gay married couple…why do this to the popular Ballum? Ben Wadey, sort it out, otherwise there’s gonna be a lot of upset people for destroying the best couple in the soaps,’ Sophie Hull began an impassioned plea to the ‘Enders boss.
‘I love Ballum and I love re-watching then on YouTube, please don’t make there split permanent I’m begging you.’
#ballum is born
Ben and Callum shared a long and arduous road before they settled down together. They embarked on an affair while Callum was engaged to Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) after Ben sensed an attraction between them. Callum struggled for a long time regarding his sexual identity, and when Whitney jilted him at the altar, encouraging him not to live a lie, he came out as gay and set about winning Ben’s heart.
Like any true soap power couple, they faced further issues. Callum’s desire to join the police while Ben was neck-deep in criminality caused friction, but the boys eventually made it down the aisle in 2021, becoming husbands.
The hits kept on coming, though. Ben spiralled badly after suffering a brutal homophobic attack, bringing back horrific memories of his first love, Paul Coker’s (Jonny Labey) murder. Later, Ben was raped, which lead to him separating from Callum, unable to tell him the horrifying truth.
Once reunited, Callum supported Ben as he recovered from his hideous ordeal, and further when the family learned that Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold), the mother of Ben’s daughter, Lexi, had a brain tumour, later discovering that it would prove terminal.
Ben was utterly broken and desperately sought a way to help cure Lola. He headed to America, where he committed credit card fraud to help source the funds to pay for more treatment for her.
It was all for naught, though, as Lola eventually passed away and the police came for Ben, armed with an extradition order back to America.
Ben leaves Callum, and Ballum fans, heartbroken
In reality, EastEnders bosses had decided to axe Ben, a decision that Max Bowden agreed with.
‘The important thing was my time was ready. I was very tired and, like I said, I wasn’t me, I wasn’t’, he said when asked about the axing.
‘The Max sat in front of you today was kind of a ghost, and they recognised that – I recognised that. I did nearly six hundred episodes in five years, which is a hell of a lot, and it was time for a rest. The character was tired, I was tired, they [the producers] were probably tired of me being tired.
‘From an honest perspective, I think yeah, a lot of it was that I needed to go for a bit. I needed to go work on me, get myself back to a place of really good mental health, focus on healing and also be a dad.’
On screen, Callum confirmed that he would wait for Ben and remain faithful while he was imprisoned. Easier said than done, unfortunately.
Callum shared a surprise kiss with Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) and as the sparks between them created a flame, it was clear that this was definitely more than a fling. Despite interference from Ben’s dad, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), who attempted to throttle Johnny, the two remained united.
With Johnny being Callum’s support system following the death of his dad, Jonno Highway (Richard Graham), Callum swore that the two would go public following the funeral, with Ben’s family insisting that he must tell Ben.
This being EastEnders, of course…guess who turned up to the funeral?
The big return
Speaking on Ben’s reappearance, Tony Clay said: ‘Callum is in a state of total shock – he can’t believe it. He’s made a decision about his life and what he’s going to do in terms of the relationship with Johnny and then boom!
‘Ben’s arrival derails his whole plan, and Callum is suddenly thrown into a very different world.
‘Now it’s not clear if he’s going to do what he’d planned and go for Johnny or if seeing Ben is going to change everything. What I can say is that Ben’s arrival massively messes with his head, and in classic Walford fashion, nothing is simple!’
Ben, blissfully unaware of what had unfolded during his imprisonment, actually thanked Johnny for looking after Callum. While Johnny attempted to flee as the funeral party headed to The Queen Vic for the wake, Callum implored him to stay.
As Callum sat down with Ben, and incredibly aware that every Beale and Mitchell eye was on him, he came clean, telling Ben that he’d move on with another man. Infuriated, Ben demanded to know who, but before Callum could speak, his subconscious gaze at Johnny told Ben everything he needed to know.
As Ben attempted to attack Johnny, his anger gave way to hurt when he realised that everybody already knew about the affair. Demanding Callum to tell him whether he loved Johnny or not, Callum’s confirmation that he did prompted Ben to demand a divorce.
R.I.P, Ballum
The above quotes weren’t the only ones highlighting EastEnders fans’ devastation at the breakup.
‘Why could EastEnders not have left Ben and Calum alone? Happiness is against the law on that show!’ Anna Roe commented on Facebook. ‘I would love to see Callum and Ben stay together. I don’t like Johnny’ added Jill Joiner.
‘How can Callum hurt Ben like that, he should be ashamed of himself, I know I am’ said Anna Powell.
‘Can’t stand Johnny, I love Ben. Ben needs to give Callum what for because if Ben did it to him he’d be so angry. I won’t be rooting for them if Callum carries on or Ben forgives him’ declared Han Smith.