BBC/Composite: EastEnders Insider Share By Joel Harley Jul 17 2025 By Joel Harley Jul 17 2025 6 very good reasons Phil should never get custody of Lexi This is a terrible idea Features Lexi Pearce Phil Mitchell Share By Joel Harley Jul 17 2025 By Joel Harley Jul 17 2025 Last night’s episode of EastEnders (Wednesday, July 16) saw Phil Mitchell tell a shocked Jay and Callum that he planned on seeking custody of Lexi. This came as Phil lashed out at everyone around him, furious at having discovered Callum’s affair with Johnny. Already temperamental after losing the tug-of-war over Nigel to Julie, Phil let old habits resurface and unleashed his wrath upon Callum and Jay. Casting aspersions upon their parenting (to be fair, Callum had just betrayed Lexi’s dad, and his husband), he asserted that he’d be taking in Lexi, thereby kicking off a custody battle. Here’s why that should never happen. Lola wanted Jay to look after Lexi (Credit: BBC) All the flaws in Phil Mitchell’s Lexi custody battle in EastEnders: 1. Phil has no legal right to seek custody of Lexi Before her death, Lexi’s mother, Lola, made it very clear that she wanted Jay to be Lexi‘s legal guardian. Ben may be Lexi’s biological father and Phil her granddad, but legal guardianship is entirely Jay’s. Unless Phil manages to get dodgy lawyer Ritchie to pull some extremely shady strings, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers Phil’s not well (Credit: BBC) 2. He’s still recovering and vulnerable As Jay was quick to remind him, Phil is still recovering from a mental health episode which saw him almost take his own life. As he struggled with a bout of loneliness and lack of purpose, Phil fell into a deep spiral of despair. This culminated in the year’s most powerful scenes, as Phil experienced a psychotic break and began having visions of his own turbulent past. He then tried to take his own life, only being talked out of it by Linda and Nigel. Grant was also there. Phil’s back on a relatively even keel now, but if this week proved anything, it’s that his recovery is a constant and not-always easy process. The stress of parenting a teenage girl (and one who is, herself, still grieving) is the last thing he needs right now. Phil’s dedicated himself to Nigel’s care (Credit: BBC) 3. He’s filling a Nigel-shaped hole Since coming home, Phil has found companionship and meaning in his friendship with Nigel. This has led to the emergence of a more tender, caring Phil Mitchell, but that’s not without its pitfalls. As both Kat and Jay have pointed out, Phil has been using his friendship with Nigel as a crutch, so as to not address underlying issues in his own mental health. And, with Nigel now gone, that’s become painfully obvious. In demanding custody of Lexi, Phil is just trying to replace Nigel, distracting himself from his unhappiness by caring for another. Phil’s punishing Callum and Jay (Credit: BBC) 4. He’s just being vindictive Phil suddenly demand for Lexi isn’t entirely motivated by wanting to feel less lonely. As many of his ex-wives, nemeses and children will attest, Phil can be a very spiteful man at times. While we don’t doubt he loves Lexi and does want what’s best for her, he’s also punishing Callum and Jay for their betrayal. Callum, for cheating on his son with Johnny, and Jay for calling Julie and getting Nigel taken away. Phil’s lashing out at the boys, and that just leaves Lexi caught in the middle. 5. Does Lexi even want to live with Phil? With no legal right over Jay, a custody dispute will likely come down to what Lexi wants. Will she really be willing to give up her life with Jay and Callum to live with granddad Phil instead? Sure, she’s not going to be happy if he tells her about Callum and Johnny, but can he count on her being angry enough to go live under his roof? Phil’s track record speaks for itself (Credit: BBC) 6. He’s Phil Mitchell! Perhaps the biggest argument of all against Phil Mitchell getting custody of Lexi is… Phil Mitchell. The man has a rap sheet longer than Jack Branning’s order history at McKlunky’s. In addition to charges of assault, kidnapping, manslaughter and much (much) more, he’s historically been a less-than ideal parent. Look no further than his raising of Ben; forcing the sweet, sensitive child to follow in his hardman father’s footsteps until he too became a hardened criminal. There’s also that time he nearly killed Louise and kicked out Jay, leaving him homeless. Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns. Share Good to Know Share By Joel Harley Jul 17 2025 By Joel Harley Jul 17 2025
