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Aaron Sidwell hints Ben Hardy could return to EastEnders

Aaron Sidwell has hinted that Ben Hardy may return to ‘EastEnders’.
The 27-year-old actor – who portrays Ben’s onscreen half-brother Steven Beale in the BBC One soap – is currently dating his sibling Peter Beale’s (Ben Hardy) former flame, Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa), and he would love to see him come back to Walford to get his girl back.
He said: "I would like to see Ben Hardy reprise his role of Peter and to see a showdown between him and Steven for Lauren."
The hunky also star thinks that Ben would jump at the chance to reprise his role and there is plenty left untold as Steven is currently stepping in as Peter and Lauren’s child’s father.
He told Inside Soap magazine: "I think Ben is passionate about the show, and that he would probably be interested in coming back if the timing and story were right.
"Peter is always going to be a fixture in the story, considering that he and Lauren have a child together that Steven is raising."
Meanwhile, Ben – who left the long-running soap last year in order to carve out a career in Hollywood – previously admitted that he’d love to come back to Albert Square for just one day and hasn’t completely ruled out reprising his role as heartthrob Peter in the future.
He explained: "I would be down for that but it’s difficult as it’s trying to get away from that perception of me as Peter Beale. But you know if that didn’t matter, I’d go back for an episode or a day, because I’m attached to that storyline."
And the handsome star – who portrayed Peter for two years – believes there is scope for him to return to Walford because of his relationship with Lauren Branning.
He said: "I’m attached to his relationship with Lauren and the baby and all that kind of stuff."
Ben walked away from the show at the end of last year when his character fled to New Zealand with his girlfriend Lauren and their baby following the revelation his step-brother Bobby (Eliot Carrington) had brutally killed his twin sister Lucy (Hetti Bywater) the year before.