EastEnders star James Bye breaks silence after devastating Martin Fowler death
EastEnders star James Bye has spoken out about the demise of Martin Fowler in tonight's live special, sharing a parting message in an emotional statement
EastEnders star James Bye has spoken out about the demise of Martin Fowler in tonight's live special, sharing a parting message in an emotional statementJames Bye has spoken out after the dramatic events surrounding Martin Fowler on EastEnders
EastEnders fans were left reeling by the shock death of Martin Fowler in tonight's live special - and now star James Bye has spoken out about his sudden exit.
Speaking about his exit, Speaking on his dramatic exit, James Bye said: "Saying goodbye is not easy, but after 10 years at EastEnders and on the night of the shows epic 40th anniversary â 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 â EastEnders wouldn't be what it is without you â 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."
Tonight's live episode saw the aftermath of Martin being stuck underneath a metal beam. Stacey Slater was by his side as paramedics and firefighters worked to free him, with the pair having emotional scenes together.
Martin - who has been dating Ruby Allen since her return - even proposed marriage to Stacey before his tragic death. Stacey shared her hopes for their future with him as he lay struggling to breathe before the beam was lifted off him.
Last night's episode saw some Walford residents become trapped in the burning Queen Vic after Reiss crashed his car into the pub, swerving to avoid Ian Beale who had been pushed into the road by wife Cindy. While Martin helped many get out, he found himself stuck under a long metal beam as Stacey Slater watched on in horror.
Fans have been convinced all week that Martin's story on the soap may come to an end during the live episode, with EastEnders teasing ahead of the 40th anniversary specials that not everyone would make it out of the burning pub alive.
Martin Fowler became trapped under a steel beam in the EastEnders live special (
Image:
BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
We've already seen one Walford resident bite the dust, with villain Reiss being crushed to death by a falling bath tub after being pushed over by Bianca Jackson. Reiss snuck into the Queen Vic to see Sonia, who had gone into labour, after fleeing Albert Square to avoid arrest over his wife Debbie's murder and false imprisonment of Bianca.
Sonia didn't hold back, telling him: "You are a freak, Reiss. You are a murdering freak. You're not going to be any part of my daughter's life." But it didn't stop Reiss from telling Sonia that they were meant to be together. "Blood is thicker than water and that baby will always be my blood."
Bianca pushed him to the ground, telling him: "Why don't you just drop dead!" It was then that a massive bath tub fell on the villain, with Bianca confirming his death to Sonia.
While we've seen Ross Kemp, Joe Swash and a host of other stars return to the soap around the 40th anniversary, fans were left screaming by a surprise appearance by Anita Dobson, who played legendary character Angie Watts on the soap.
Returning to the soap after decades away, Anita appeared as Angie in her daughter Sharon's imagination as she lost consciousness underneath the pub rubble. "You're not giving up on us, are you Sharon?" Angie asked her. "Hello, darling! I've missed you so much."
Angie encouraged Sharon to start shouting for help and told her to keep fighting - at which point, Grant Mitchell appeared and rescued Sharon from the blazing fire.
EastEnders airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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