Note: The following article contains discussion of themes including suicide.
Comic Relief: Funny For Money has aired a special EastEnders episode as part of Phil Mitchell's ongoing mental health storyline.
The five-minute episode was produced by the BBC soap and Comic Relief in order to highlight the importance of seeking help.
EastEnders viewers have seen Phil suffering with depression over the last few months, before he attempted to end his own life and was taken to a mental health unit.
Phil found it hard to adapt to his new environment, but eventually made a friend and learned to open up about his struggles. He began to engage in the therapy sessions and was later deemed ready to be discharged.
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Tonight's exclusive Comic Relief scenes took viewers back to Phil's time in the mental health unit, as he reluctantly made friends with another patient named Andy (played by Jake Rory).
Andy shared details about his difficult childhood, explaining that his mum had left when he was two years old and his dad had ended up in prison. After living in both children's and foster homes, Andy became homeless at 16 years old.
"But then, I ended up in this hostel that had therapists working there from a charity," he said. "It was like I wasn't invisible no more."
The conversation picked up on another day when Andy heard about an attempted suicide on the unit and revealed that he had also considered ending his life.
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Phil admitted he had been in a similar situation and the pair shared a touching moment as they appreciated being alive. Later, they discussed the importance of getting help when you need it.
"I thought I was gonna come in here, get a bit of a quick service. But now, I realise this is just the start," Phil added.
The special episode was inspired by the work of a project called Brandon Centre, which is supported by Comic Relief.
"At Brandon Centre, we are hoping to offer free and in-depth therapy to people who otherwise might not receive it and hopefully that gives them a safe space to process and to understand their past, their present experiences and hopefully create a better future for themselves as well," psychotherapist Aaron told Comic Relief host Davina McCall.
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
We encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Information about how to access support is available via the NHS, and organisations who can offer help include Samaritans on 116 123 or Mind on 0300 123 3393
Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
