Ben Mitchell’s (Max Bowden) world looks set to fall apart in EastEnders next week when his husband Callum Highway’s (Tony Clay) secret affair explodes.

While Ben has been banged up in an American prison for fraud over the last year and a half, things have been heating up between Callum and his old friend Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff).

Their casual hook-ups recently escalated into a full-blown affair in the wake of Callum’s homophobic father Jonno’s death from a heart attack, as Johnny’s support made Callum realise he wanted to be with him.

But as the day of Jonno’s funeral arrives next week, Callum is stunned when Ben turns up unannounced, leading to some high drama as their marriage unravels.

It all kicks off on Monday when Ben’s mum Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) catches Callum kissing Johnny, who he’s asked to stay away from the funeral to avoid raising suspicion – but with another member of Ben’s family now privy to the truth, that’s not exactly going so well.

Kathy rallies the rest of the Mitchells together to discuss Callum’s deceit, and they then confront him, but he hits back with some uncomfortable home truths about them all.

‘The confrontation he has with the Mitchells makes Callum realise who has actually been there for him during all of this,’ explains Tony Clay, who plays Callum.

‘Everyone else has taken Ben’s side immediately when they found out Callum had been unfaithful, when he’s been left to raise Lexi and done everything alone for a long time because Ben got himself sent to prison.

‘During that time, Johnny has been there for Callum and checking in on him to make sure he’s alright. Callum has started to think that is how things should be in a relationship, rather than the chaos that surrounds his marriage to Ben.’

After Callum changes his mind and tells Johnny he wants him at the funeral, Kathy and the rest of the Mitchells agree to keep the truth from Ben on the proviso that Callum tells Ben everything after laying his dad to rest.

However, Callum is then dealt a massive curveball when Ben turns up at the service, having been transferred to a UK prison after informing on his cellmate and granted day release.

‘Callum is in a state of total shock – he can’t believe it,’ Tony says. ‘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.’

While Johnny and Callum’s brother Stuart Highway  (Ricky Champ) work hard to keep the truth under wraps, Callum later comes to a huge realisation – that he must tell Ben…

‘It was exciting to have such a big, emotional moment and get to explore their relationship and where it is right now,’ Tony teases about the fallout.

‘Ben and Callum, as a couple, have a lovely, strong following who are very supportive of us, which is lovely. There have been a lot of ups and downs for them as a couple, so it’s going to be really interesting to see what happens next.

‘What I can say is that Ben’s arrival massively messes with his head, and in classic Walford fashion, nothing is simple!’