Harry Reid thought he was going to get axed from ‘EastEnders’.
The 24-year-old actor feared he was getting the boot from the long-running soap after he was told his bolshie character Ben Mitchell – a role he’s portrayed for two years – was going to die following a brutal homophobic attack during a night out.
Speaking on ‘This Morning’ on Friday (22.07.16), he said: "I had a meeting with [the show’s executive producer] Dom [Treadwell-Collins] before he left [last month] and he gave me a little run down of the year ahead … [he told me] it plays out as if Ben has died so he’s going, ‘Yeah Phil [Mitchell – played by Steve McFadden] gets a call and Ben’s died.’ And I’m kind of sat there like, ‘Oh, OK then. I’ll get my bag and go now then, shall I Dom?’ "
But the handsome star was able to breathe a sigh of relief when he was later informed his alter-ego’s boyfriend Paul Coker (Jonny Labey) is actually the one to pass away following the attack.
He explained: "He [Dominic then] sort of explained what actually happened so I knew it was coming but I tried to detach myself from it [the end result of the storyline] as much as I can."
But, although Harry was thrilled he was being kept on, it was a sad story for Jonny – who has played Paul for over a year – as he discovered his alter-ego was being killed off against his wishes.
He said recently: "It wasn’t my choice, but I’m a big believer in everything happens for a reason. It’s sad as I was just getting into it and he’s [Paul] just sort of arrived and started to get interesting. Like any other job, it’s always about the bigger picture and all you can do, is do the part justice."
Harry Reid feared EastEnders chop
