Former EastEnders star Joshua Pascoe has revealed that a return of Only Fools and Horses could tempt him out of retirement. The actor, best known for playing Ben Mitchell on the BBC soap, stepped away from the entertainment industry years ago and now lives a quieter life away from the cameras.
While Joshua has no plans to rush back onto television screens, he has admitted there are a couple of programmes that could make him reconsider. Asked what would convince him to come out of retirement, he said: “Only Fools and Horses and Boardwalk Empire are my two favourites so those are the only two that would turn my head. They are both classics.”
A Decade Away from Albert Square
The confession comes more than a decade after Joshua left Albert Square, where he played Ben Mitchell between 2010 and 2012. Since walking away from acting, he has taken a very different career path, swapping scripts and filming schedules for a job on a building site before finding unexpected success online with adult content.
The former soap star recently revealed that fans are still fascinated by his EastEnders character, with some subscribers even requesting content inspired by his portrayal of Phil Mitchell's troubled son. Speaking about the surprising response, he said: “I put a video up of me in my glasses and it went crazy... I won't even repeat some of what people have said. It's amazing how many people have said Ben Mitchell is a fantasy... it sounds so strange to say, but people like it.”
A New Career Path
Joshua admitted he never expected the role to remain such a talking point years after he left the soap. His career took a different turn as acting opportunities began to dry up, prompting him to look for work elsewhere. “The acting slowly dried up and I went to work on a building site instead,” he explained. “Then my friends suggested I start the adult work and within the first month I was in double figures. I get funny looks sometimes, but no one's asked me about it at work yet.”
He has also been surprised by some of the requests he receives online, admitting the experience has opened his eyes to the variety of interests people have. “The market for blokes' feet is mad... when I first got speaking to people they were like, 'Can we see a picture of your feet?' There are so many different kinks and since starting this, I've realised I'm not as vanilla as I thought.”
Life Away from the Spotlight
Joshua became part of EastEnders history through one of the soap's darkest storylines, when Ben killed Heather Trott, played by Cheryl Fergison, before later being sent to prison. He previously described leaving the show aged just 16 as a “double edged sword”, explaining that while he was proud to have been involved in such a major storyline, saying goodbye to the character was difficult.
Despite the unexpected success he has found since leaving the acting world, Joshua says he is content with his life away from the spotlight. “I've been out of the acting world for years now. I've just got a normal job. I'm a normal bloke. I've got a nine to five, Monday to Friday. I'm humble... There's nothing flashy or lairy about me.”
