EastEnders spoilers: Kathy makes devastating decision about Ben | soaps

Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) feels utterly powerless in her attempt to get son Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) through the ordeal of being raped at the hands of vile Lewis (Aidan O’Callaghan).

And while she’s on the receiving end of Ben’s downward spiral in EastEnders, she’s forced to adopt an attitude of hard love to try and help her struggling son.

But will it pay off if she tries every possible way to help him seek help?

Kathy was stunned and shocked when Ben opened up about what he had been through in powerful and emotional scenes.

Kathy has stood by her son’s side ever since, determined to be a rock for him, but when things get worse and Ben destroys herself, she doesn’t know what to do.

With Kathy his only confidante, Ben finds himself lashing out at her and her partner Rocky (Brian Conley) has had enough.

In a confrontation, Rocky tells Ben in no uncertain terms that he is not okay and Ben responds by hitting him.

When Kathy intervenes, she is the one to absorb the force of the blow. Ben is shocked and later apologizes to his mother.

She begs him to seek professional help to support him in this as she doesn’t have the power to do it alone, but Ben breaks her head off and refuses.

Distraught that things have come to this, Kathy employs a new technique to try to get through to her son and makes it clear that she will not talk to him again until he agrees to seek help.

But it’s a huge risk given Ben’s state of mind. Is Kathy doing the right thing?