EastEnders star Max Bowden has showed off a painful injury from his dramatic fight scenes on the soap.
The actor - who plays Ben Mitchell in the BBC One soap - has posted a photo of his injured and bruised hand after he filmed some dramatic scenes as Ben, where he hit his relative Peter Beale after mistaking him for a homophobic man.
Max described it as an "occupational hazard" as he posted a photo of his shattered knuckles and bruises.
Writing on Twitter, he shared: "Occupational hazard from Mondays episode… two shattered knuckles and one big bruise. Playing Ben Mitchell is a joy, thanks for all the comments. Big couple of weeks incoming! @bbceastenders."
Ben teased a "big couple of weeks", where his character will be subjected to a horrific rape ordeal.
A show source shared previously: "It’s the first time EastEnders has covered this issue but they’ve always been at the forefront of telling these important stories. As always, the show is working closely with different charities as they want to make sure it’s all handled as sensitively as possible. The attack won’t be shown on-screen but viewers will be aware of it happening."
Speaking about the important storyline, Max added: "Alongside some wonderful charities, and some very inspirational survivors of male sexual assault in the UK, I think we’ve been able to really strive to tell the most truthful account we can, and I hope we can raise awareness and understanding on a topic that is rarely covered."
The storyline is particularly important to the show as it will show the "traumatic time" he will go through.
Kate Oates, BBC head of continuing drama, explained: "Ben has endured a traumatic time after witnessing a homophobic attack on Callum that brought back painful memories of losing Paul. As a result, Ben lost his way in life … which is when he found Lewis.
"Ben finds Lewis attractive, and thinks of him as a someone who can understand him in a way Callum does not; but that trust is abused when Lewis crosses a line and rapes Ben. Through this story, we hope to explore issues of consent, sexual identity, masculinity, and sexual assault, focusing on how this fateful night impacts Ben and those who love him over the coming months."
*If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999.
