EastEnders confirm heartbreaking Phil Mitchell twist – and fans will be left in tears
EastEnders have confirmed they are working on a mental health storyline that will see Phil Mitchell attempt to take his own life with the storyline focusing on his decline in mental health
Phil Mitchell(Image: BBC)
EastEnders bosses have confirmed they’re developing a mental health plot that will see Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) contemplating suicide while battling depression with psychotic symptoms.
Phil has been distancing himself from his loved ones in recent times, following Sharon Mitchell’s (Letitia Dean) new romance with his cousin Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian), the collapse of his marriage to Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), and Ben Mitchell’s (Max Bowden) imprisonment in America. BBC viewers will witness Phil’s mental health deteriorate as he tries to conceal his depression.
The storyline will track Phil and those closest to him as his depression worsens and his psychotic symptoms escalate, leading to hallucinations at the crisis point where he starts to believe his life is no longer worth living.
EastEnders have confirmed they are working on a mental health storyline that will see Phil Mitchell attempt to take his own life(Image: BBC)
EastEnders is collaborating closely with The Samaritans, Rethink Mental Illness, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), and Mind to ensure Phil’s story is depicted as accurately and sensitively as possible.
Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw stated: “Phil’s depression storyline will focus on his decline in mental health and the subsequent psychotic symptoms, and the reaction of those around him, as we hope to demonstrate how mental health can affect anyone at any time.
Phil has been distancing himself from his loved ones in recent times(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
“Steve’s performance is nothing short of extraordinary and has thoughtfully portrayed the complex realties of depression, and the experience of psychotic symptoms, with compassion and understanding.”, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“”Phil’s depression storyline will focus on his decline in mental health and the subsequent psychotic symptoms, and the reaction of those around him, as we hope to demonstrate how mental health can affect anyone at any time. “Steve’s performance is nothing short of extraordinary and has thoughtfully portrayed the complex realties of depression, and the experience of psychotic symptoms, with compassion and understanding.”
EastEnders is collaborating closely with The Samaritans, Rethink Mental Illness, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), and Mind to ensure Phil’s story(Image: BBC/ Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
“Lorna Fraser, who heads up the Samaritans’ Media Advice Service, praised the EastEnders team: “The EastEnders team has done a great job capturing the reality of a mental health crisis, and we were delighted to help them tell Phil’s story in a safe and responsible way.
“”The nature of a soap makes it possible to present sensitive topics in uniquely engaging ways through characters audiences can relate to. “”We know men often struggle to open up and share how they are feeling, so it’s good to show the importance of checking in and lending a listening ear in this way.”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am
