Former EastEnders star James Bye has joined the cast of a hugely popular show.
The actor’s final scenes as Martin Fowler aired in February, during a week of episodes that celebrated the show’s 40th anniversary.
Martin became trapped in the Queen Vic rubble after Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) crashed his car into the side of the building. As he waited for the emergency services to remove the beam from his legs, he spoke to Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) about their relationship and decided to reunite.
Just as Martin and Stacey got their hopes up, it was destroyed. Martin suffered Crush syndrome as the beam was removed, leading to his death shortly after.
Stacey was broken and, for the record, we absolutely are not over it.
‘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’, James Bye said as he discussed his exit earlier this year.
‘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.’
Chris Clenshaw, show boss at the time, added: ‘It’s incredibly sad to say goodbye to James, who has been a much loved loyal company member for 10 years.
‘James’ performance in tonight’s live episode was nothing short of outstanding and one that I know will touch so many of you watching at home due to his loveable portrayal of Martin Fowler, which has made him a firm favourite amongst the viewers.
‘When discussing James’ exit, we knew that we needed to give Martin Fowler the big explosive storyline that his character deserved.
‘To leave the show in such an emotional storyline, during a live episode is something incredibly courageous to do as an actor, and one that I’m sure will cement itself in EastEnders’ history.
‘I would like to thank James for everything he’s given to EastEnders, and although we will all miss him here at Elstree, he will always remain a member of the EastEnders family and we wish him the best for the future.’
Since his departure from the soap, James has appeared in the theatre production of Death Comes to Pemberley. He is continuing to dip his toe back into the world of stage shows in his next role, this time playing Sam in the production 2:22 A Ghost Story.
James will feature alongside Hollyoaks star Gary Lucy, Shvorne Marks and Natalie Casey, who will play Ben, Jenny and Lauren.
The play has been running since 2021, and multiple famous faces have played the roles, including Louisa Lytton, Stacey Dooley, Kevin Clifton and James Buckley.
The story focuses on Jenny, who believes her home is haunted but her partner Sam isn’t convinced.
When Lauren and her husband Ben arrive for dinner, the group discuss the possibility of the house being the location of paranormal activity. They decide to stay up until 2:22, to see if they can get some answers.