In a shocking live episode, EastEnders‘ Martin Fowler was dramatically killed off.
The character, who has been a staple of the BBC soap for 40 years, met a tragic end as The Queen Vic collapsed during a fire. Despite his heroic efforts to save Stacey Slater, Martin was tragically crushed by a falling metal beam.
James Bye, who has portrayed Martin for over a decade since taking over the role in 2014, bid farewell to the show. He succeeded former actor James Alexandrou, while Jon Peyton-Price originally played the character, who was born in the soap’s debut year.
Viewers had been speculating about his shocking demise for weeks, following numerous hints and references to past events. However, the plot took a twist when he stayed behind in the burning building to rescue Stacey on Wednesday night.
Oddly enough, despite the imminent danger, Stacey insisted on discussing their feelings before leaving the building. After some time, Martin confessed that he loved his ex-wife Stacey, not his current partner Ruby Allen, reports the Mirror.
However, disaster struck when a beam fell from the ceiling as they were about to exit. Martin pushed Stacey out of the way, but he was unable to avoid the falling debris, which crushed his legs.
As the live episode kicked off on Thursday, Martin was in a very bad way and his death appeared to be imminent. Stacey stayed with Martin and called for help, with the beam pinning him down as he screamed.
As the episode progressed, Martin suddenly stopped moving, and lost consciousness as Stacey screamed out. He was given morphine for the pain with his breathing erratic, as Stacey vowed to stand by him.
It’s then that Martin told Stacey once more he loved her, also telling her he never wanted to be apart from her ever again – asking her to marry him again. Paramedics warned Stacey that Martin was at risk of crush syndrome, that could cause kidney issues and a cardiac arrest so to prepare herself.
Martin realised something was wrong and gave Stacey a speech in heartbreaking scenes. Just as they managed to free him Martin went into cardiac arrest.
Sadly at the end of the episode Martin was killed off in devastating scenes, with Stacey by his side.
James’ final scenes on the show during the live special saw him pass away just as he and Stacey decided to give things another go. Viewers were devastated by the death twist, with the show killing off such an iconic character in such a sad way.
After his departure scenes aired, James said: “Saying goodbye is not easy, but after 10 years at EastEnders and on the night of the shows epic 40th anniversary the time felt right. It’s an honour to leave on a story of this magnitude. A huge thank you to all the fans of the show EastEnders wouldn’t be what it is without you and to the BBC and EastEnders team for trusting me with this role for so many years. This fruit and veg man will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s time to look forward, and I’m incredibly excited for what the future holds. RIP Martin Fowler.”
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