Ben Mitchell is finding it hard to hold things together for daughter Lexi Pearce in Tuesday's episode of EastEnders (7:30 pm. see our TV Guide for full listings).
Ben Mitchell has had an emotional day with daughter Lexi Pearce, as she prepares for her first day of secondary school.
It's one of the many milestones in the young girl's life that mum Lola Pearce won't be around to see. Lola tragically died from a brain tumour earlier in the year, leaving the family devastated.
The day is a particularly significant one for both Lexi and Ben. When Lola was still alive, Ben was so desperate to stop the inevitable that he went on the hunt for a miracle treatment to prolong her life. His promise to Lexi that her mum would be there for her on her first day in big school, sadly wasn't to be.
Trying to be strong for his daughter, grief starts to overwhelm him. He's been confronting his recent mental health struggles and eating disorder but he's still in a very delicate state.
Making a quick exit from the flat, Ben heads to The Queen Vic to drown his sorrows. But his solace in the bottle is cut short when husband Callum Highway tells him he needs to come home and be there for an upset Lexi.
Pulling himself together, Ben encourages Lexi to open up and eventually her smiles return and she gets excited about her first day at school.
Worried that Ben isn't coping, Callum checks on his hubby and puts aside his doubts for now when Ben insists he's okay.
Is Ben about to go on another downward spiral?
Stacey Slater is still TRAPPED in the kitchen with a dangerously desperate Theo Hawthorne, who is refusing to accept her complete rejection of him!
After Theo admitted to his stalker-ish ways when it was clear he was about to be outed by Martin Fowler, the deluded teacher was stunned when she chucked him out of the house.
A very upset Theo managed to get back in and, terrified by Theo's dark mood, Stacey is desperate to get rid of him. Her teen daughter Lily is in labour and the baby is about to arrive!
Lily's grandma Jean Slater is with Lily and she has no idea of the drama that's going on in the kitchen.
Is Stacey in grave danger from Theo or will someone come to her rescue in time?
Ian Beale is keen to get things sorted after his shock return to Albert Square. Even more shocking was the fact he was with the supposedly 'dead' Cindy Beale, who is also, it turns out, George Knight's missing wife Rose Knight!
Her appearance has caused shockwaves in the Square, not least for her daughters Gina Knight and Anna Knight, who she abandoned when they were very young.
After a run in with Gina that leaves a miserable Cindy feeling humiliated, Ian promises Cindy that the girls will come round.
As per usual, Ian's solution is money, as he thinks that solves everything! He suggests setting up a new business that will convince Gina and Anna to thaw towards their long lost mum.
Cindy settled, now Ian needs to convince his mum Kathy Cotton to forgive him for the secrets and lies he's been keeping.
His attempts to make amends is not good enough for Kathy's new husband Rocky Cotton, who thinks Ian is spinning his dear old mum a line.
Ian heads to the cafe with son Peter Beale to run through a few things and he has a brainwave, plotting to relaunch the Beale empire with some of businessman Nish Panesar's cash!
Also, Jack Branning feels emotional when son Ricky Mitchell says he doesn't want his absent mum Sam Mitchell's surname anymore and he's going to change it to Branning.
Following Sam's brief fling with Whitney Dean's fella Zack Hudson last year, Sam left Ricky with his dad yet again after accepting a 'temporary' job at a hotel in Spain, despite promising him she'll return.
Could she be back soon or is she gone for good?
EastEnders continues on BBC One on Wednesday at 7:30 pm.
