Things are looking extremely perilous for EastEnders’ Martin Fowler (James Bye) following Wednesday’s 40th anniversary episode.
Speculation he could perish following the explosion that ripped through the Queen Vic is at an all-time high after he became trapped under a steel beam at the end of the special instalment.
While many of the locals managed to escape the disaster zone, Martin insisted on staying behind to rescue ex-wife Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), who was trapped in the ladies’ loos.
Despite the building teetering on the verge of collapse, they thought it was the perfect time to have a heart-to-heart about their true feelings for each other.
And while fans up and down the nation could be heard rejoicing as they finally gave into their feelings and reunited, their delay in escaping proved to be fateful when a beam fell from the ceiling crushing Martin’s pelvis.
With killer Reis Colwell (Jonny Freeman) becoming the first victim of the blast when a falling bath tub crushed him to death, could Martin be the next to die?
Who plays Martin Fowler in EastEnders?
James Bye took over the role of Martin Fowler when the character returned to Walford after a seven-year absence in 2014.
The character was the first baby to be born on the show to parents Pauline and Arthur Fowler (Wendy Richard and Bill Treacher).
Child actor Jon Peyton-Price played him from his birth in 1985 to 1996, with James Alexandrou then taking over until his exit in 2007.
Last year, James Alexandrou spoke of handing the mantle over to James Bye during an interview on Johnny Seifert’s Secure The Insecure Podcast.
He recalled: ‘I found out old Jimmy Bye, James Bye got the job,’ he said. ‘I got his number off Natalie Cassidy, I think, so he didn’t know that I had his number, and I just text him out the blue.
‘I said, listen, it’s James Alexandrou. I’m really happy for you. You know, go do whatever you want with [Martin], have fun. And I think he’s done a great job.’
The two ‘Martins’ ended up meeting on the Albert Square set when James Alexandrou made a surprise return to the show – but this time behind the camera.
‘I shadowed as a director. You go and follow the director and see how they direct the show,’ he explained. ’It just so happened that James Bye was on, on the day that I was shadowing.
‘He apparently caught wind of it, and he came on to do a scene, and he kind of went, “Oh, it’s you!” It was a strange moment, it was a really strange moment, because we don’t know each other at all, and the only thing that bonds us are these words on a page called Martin Fowler. It was a really nice moment.’
Who is James Bye?
EastEnders is James’ biggest role as an actor, having been with the BBC soap now for over 10 years.
Prior to landing the part, James had had minor roles in a few British-made films and appeared in a 2006 episode of The Bill. In 2013, he played the character of John Daly in the BBC mini-series The Great Train Robbery.
Away from the cameras, James has been married to wife Victoria since 2012. They met back when James was working as a promoter.
She told The Mirror in 2022 of their first meeting: ‘He was handing out sweets, and I must have really liked fruit jellies because he gave me a fruit jelly and asked me for my number and that was it.
‘He was wearing skintight red trousers and was stood inside a giant pineapple, so I won’t say it was the man of my dreams.
‘But I saw he’d got a little twinkle in his eye – and he’s such a cheeky charmer that by the time I’d finished my jelly I was a smitten kitten. Six months later we moved in together and we’ve been together 17 years now.’
The couple now have four sons together, including 10-year-old Edward, eight-year-old Louis, Hugo, 5, and one-year-old Rufus.
Does Martin Fowler die in EastEnders?
While fans will have to tune in to Thursday’s live episode to learn Martin’s fate, a number of clues have pointed to his demise in recent weeks.
James set tongues wagging after curiously removing the show from his bio on Instagram earlier this month.
On social media, fans have also noted how Martin’s current partner Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) and both ex-wives Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) are all leaving in the coming months, suggesting his death could be a way to facilitate their exits.
Another noted his friends mistakenly thinking Martin was 40 last year could also be a clue, adding: ‘A year since we had the fake birthday last year. Killing the OG Baby on the 40th anniversary, just shy of his own 40th, is definitely memorable.’
