Controversial EastEnders character stages dramatic return – and suddenly dies

Jonno’s back – and gone again (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)

EastEnders’ Callum Highway (Tony Clay) is in for an almighty shock next week as his homophobic father Jonno returns to Walford.

The character, played by actor Richard Graham, was last seen in October 2019, having disowned his son after Callum came out as gay.

But in the six years Jonno has been away, he has failed to change his ways, as his return scenes see him at the centre of a homophobic attack on a beloved resident.

However, the story will soon take a shock turn as BBC bosses have already announced that Jonno will die, paving the way for a brief comeback from Callum’s incarcerated husband Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden).

The drama all kicks off on Tuesday, when Callum intercepts someone verbally and physically abusing Eve Panesar-Unwin (Heather Peace) at The Albert and is stunned to see it is his dad.

Callum quickly arrests Jonno, who protests his innocence, blaming a friend for Eve’s ordeal, but she is adamant Jonno is also responsible.

With a battle brewing, Callum’s on-off lover Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) meets with Jonno to offer him legal counsel and to try and gauge whether Jonno wants a relationship with Callum.

Jonno is reluctant to open up, but when Johnny reveals he is a Carter, the pair head to The Vic for a drink.

Johnny gives Jonno some legal advice (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron) Callum isn’t best pleased to see his dad (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)

‘Johnny sees it as a huge opportunity to use all of his lawyer skills that he’s picked up over the years to support Callum and try to fix this part of Callum’s life and his relationship with his dad,’ explains Charlie Suff, who plays Johnny.

‘Johnny is going to try as hard as he can to use his lawyer skills to help Jonno, because he loves Callum.’

Later, Callum is touched when Johnny reveals that Jonno wants to meet him. But Charlie reveals viewers can expect some ‘absolute fireworks’ when father and son try to reconcile.

‘Jonno is a very scary, opinionated, intimidating character. It doesn’t quite go to plan,’ he explains.

After Callum soon realises Jonno is after money, his dad’s true colours are exposed once more. But the ugly scenes culminate in Jonno collapsing and suffering a heart attack – and it isn’t looking like he survives.

Last month, it was confirmed Ben is making a return to EastEnders alongside Callum’s brother Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) to attend Jonno’s funeral.

See ya, Jonno (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)

Ben is currently serving a six-year prison sentence for fraud, but is released on temporary license to support Callum at Jonno’s send-off, where spoiler pictures have already revealed the couple’s passionate reunion.

However, Ben is likely to learn all about Callum’s affair with Johnny, which has been on-and-off since earlier this summer.

Before that, though, Charlie reveals there is a lot ahead for Callum and Johnny.

He explains: ‘They are head over heels for each other, and they are trying to get through all of the untying of the threads that they need to, to be with each other in the way that they want to. But there is a lot of baggage to sort out, and they are muddling through together and having a lot of fun while doing it.

‘There’s a lot of stuff to come, especially with Ben having a day release. There’s a lot to wade through, but they’re going through it together, and I think they both feel a lot stronger and more complete by each other’s side.’

Does this spell the end for Ballum?

EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 8 September at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.

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