EASTENDERS fans have shared their distress after Phil Mitchell tried to shoot himself in harrowing scenes.
Phil put the gun to his head and frantically pulled the trigger while having a mental health breakdown in the latest episode of the soap.
Phil broke down in front of his horrified hardman brother Grant, Linda Carter and Nigel Bates and told them he no longer wanted to be alive.
Phil told the trio that ‘all he does is cause pain’ and described himself as a “burden” to his loved ones.
“Ask Kathy, ask Ben, ask Cat, ask him,” he said, while gesturing to Grant.
Nigel, who has returned to Albert Square for the soap’s 40th anniversary, begged him to “put the gun down”, while Linda pleaded: “Have you seen what suicide does to families?”
But Phil, played by Steve McFadden, told them: “They’re better off without me. They’re better off…no, no… it’s over! It’s over! I’m done!”
He then backed into a corner and began furiously pulling the trigger with the gun to his head, albeit just out of frame for viewers.
Linda screamed and put her hands over her eyes but thankfully the gun didn’t have any bullets in.
Grant jumped forwards and snatched the weapon from his brother’s grasp, yelling furiously: “What if it had been loaded?!”
As Phil slumped against a table, Grant ran outside and began to break down.
EastEnders fans were shocked by the distressing scenes, which played out on BBC One Wednesday night.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”EastEnders airs bombshell return for original legend after 37 years – but with a twist” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6369064694112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Many flocked to X to share their thoughts, with one posting a crying emoji and saying: “The gun wasn’t loaded. We could have lost Phil.”
Another added a broken heart emoji and wrote: “Phil really would have killed himself if there was a bullet in the gun.”
And a third said: “Steve McFadden needs recognition for his portrayal of Phil and his mental health struggle.”
The latest episode of EastEnders showed the aftermath of a huge gas explosion at the Queen Vic.
But away from the horror unfolding in the pub, Phil was shown grappling with his mental health in The Arches.
At first, he was reluctant to seek professional help but came round to the idea as the hour-long episode went on.
Phil told Linda: “First I felt lonely. That ain’t me, that ain’t me. And depressed? I don’t know, that just sounds pathetic.”
Linda told him: “He doesn’t.”
He added: “I’ve been fighting all my life, trying to be the hard man, trying to be the governor. It comes from mum I suppose.
“That’s what she says, that’s what she says. She says you’ve got to look after your own.”
[boxout headline=”EastEnders’ 40th anniversary cameos so far” featured-image=”32590325″ intro=”With the 40th anniversary of EastEnders coming up, fans are looking forward to some more incredible cameos from iconic faces of Walford’s past. But who have we had so far? “]Tracy-Ann Oberman – Oberman returned as Chrissie Watts, a character she last played nearly two decades ago.
Paul Bradley – Bradley returned as Nigel Bates, a character he last played over 25 years ago.
Micheal French – French returned as David Wicks, a character he last played two decades ago.
Patsy Palmer – Palmer returned as Bianca Jackson, a character she last played in 2019.
Ricky Groves – Groves returned as Garry Hobbs, a character who has not been seen since 2009.
Cliff Parisi – Parisi returned as Minty Peterson, a character who was last seen on the square in 2010.
Ross Kemp – Kemp has returned to play Grant Mitchell, a character he first played in 1990. The BBC has described Kemp’s storyline as “explosive”. Kemp said it was an “absolute honour” to return to the show.
Other aspects of the EastEnders 40th anniversary celebration include: A wedding between fan favorites, A huge explosion at the Queen Vic, and A live interactive episode.
Linda told Phil: “You do, you do. But you don’t have to be the hard man.”
She told Phil that Grant is “stuck in the 80s”, but he said: “What is the point in carrying on?”
Between Linda and Nigel, who revealed to Phil he is suffering from dementia, they managed to convince him to speak to a mental health practitioner.
He later agreed to accompany her to the hospital for treatment in an ambulance.
- EastEnders Live, 7.30pm, BBC One, Thursday February 20, 2025
