With EastEnders’ explosive 40th anniversary week climaxing with a live episode on Thursday night, things couldn’t be looking much worse for poor old Martin Fowler (James Bye).
Currently trapped under a steel beam following the blast that raised the Queen Vic to the ground, it is feeling more and more likely that he won’t make out of the disaster zone alive.
It would certainly be an extremely sad ending for the long-running character – who has been played by actor James Bye since 2014 – with fans having only just seen him reunite with his one true love Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
As the pair now face a race against time to get out before the building collapses entirely, several clues have already pointed towards a tragic conclusion for Walford’s beloved fruit and veg seller. Let’s take a closer look…
Martin’s mistaken 40th
The first pointers to Martin’s possible fate date back as far as last year, when the residents of Walford mistakenly believed he was turning 40, when it was in fact his 39th birthday. And now it looks very much like he won’t live to see his actual big four-oh.
Born on 6 August 1985 to parents Pauline and Arthur Fowler (Wendy Richard and Bill Treacher), Martin is also the first child born on the show following its launch six months earlier.
Killing off EastEnders’ firstborn on its 40th anniversary would be darkly poetic and certainly hark back to the show’s legacy – speaking of which…
Nods to the past
Over the last few weeks, there have been various callbacks to Martin’s deep ties with Walford.
Not only was he at the forefront of the recent campaign to save the Bridge Street market – which his family has a history with going back generations – but he also finally became the owner of the Fowler/Beale fruit and veg stall in a very personal milestone.
In other emotional scenes, Martin was seen reminiscing about his late mum and dad, who were original characters on the show.
Arthur and Pauline even popped up in archive footage, as Martin gathered with his family and friends in the Vic to watch an appearance they made on an 80s TV game show.
Could these reminders of Martin’s heritage have been a celebratory way of saying goodbye to such a legacy character?
Stacey and Ruby’s exits
From a logistical point of view, Martin’s death would help EastEnders facilitate the forthcoming exits of all his ex-wives and current love interests Stacey and Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton).
Stacey is due to disappear from screens imminently, with actress Lacey having gone on maternity leave ahead of her the birth of her daughter Gipsy last month – although she is making a brief return to the EastEnders set to appear in Thursday’s live episode.
Upon the announcement of Ruby’s return to Walford in September, it was revealed that the character was only back for a ‘prolonged stint’. This is now drawing to an end, however, as actress Louisa is appearing in a touring production of A Girl on the Train between 15 April and 31 May.
Could it be that the two women are too grief-stricken to stick around in Walford?
Mirroring of another key death?
Cast your mind back to EastEnders’ 25th anniversary in 2010 and you will remember how Stacey lost her first husband Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) during a live episode.
He fell from the roof of The Queen Vic as he and Stacey went on the run from the police after Stacey was revealed as Archie Mitchell’s (Larry Lamb) killer.
With another live episode now upon us, could Stacey lose the second love of her life in the very same place she watched Bradley die 15 years earlier?
Given fans know how much executive producer Chris Clenshaw loves mirroring events from the past (think Lauren Branning exposing Cindy Beale’s affair at Christmas, just like how she revealed Max and Stacey’s affair way back in 2008), it is certainly a compelling narrative…
Floral tributes
In the lead-up to the 40th anniversary, drones were flown over the EastEnders set, with pictures revealing the aftermath of the Queen Vic explosion.
They confirmed a big death, showing how floral tributes had been laid outside the pub – and we doubt very much that they are for now-deceased killer Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman), who perished thanks to a falling bathtub on Wednesday.
The placement of the flowers could be very significant too, as they are outside the barrel store where Martin is currently trapped, and also right next to his fruit and veg stall…
James’ Instagram bio
If these ideas haven’t been enough to convince you of Martin’s demise, then perhaps the final nail in the coffin will come courtesy of James Bye himself.
The actor set tongues wagging earlier this month after curiously removing mention of EastEnders from his bio on Instagram.
It’s worth noting, though, that some fans suggested this could be a deliberate misdirect from James, noting how Jamie Borthwick did the same thing when his character Jay Brown had a car crash in 2023.
However, James definitely added fuel to the fire when he posted a birthday tribute to EastEnders on Instagram shortly after that steel beam came crashing down on Martin – and we have to admit, it all did sound a bit final.
He wrote: ‘A decade ago, I was welcomed into the EastEnders family at Elstree—and that’s exactly what we are. No doubt, it’s a madhouse most days, but it’s also a place filled with people, both on and off screen, who pour their hearts into this show every single day.
‘It’s truly special, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of it, surrounded by the amazing people who make EastEnders what it is. Happy 40th @bbceastenders.’
