EASTENDERS fans cannot stop crying at the emotional aftermath of Martin Fowler’s death in today’s episode of the soap.
The fruit and veg flogger – who was played by actor Jame Bye in the BBC soap – died saving ex Stacey Slater in the Queen Vic collapse.
Stacey was forced to tell her children that Martin had died in the incident[/caption]
Stacey tried desperately to comfort her children[/caption]
Lily couldn’t believe her dad had died[/caption]
Stacey was struggling to come to terms with what had happened and couldn’t bring herself to tell the kids.
She got support from Kathy and Ian, and then from Sonia who gave her the strength to go home and tell the kids that Martin was gone.
Finally able to accept what had happened, Stacey sat down with her children and broke the devastating news.
“He was brave your dad,” she said.
“We talked about lots of things, we talked about you, all three of you. And how much he loved you.”
“Is daddy OK now?” asked Hope.
But before Stacey could get the words out, Lily said: “He’s dead, isn’t he?”
“Yes, yes darling,” Stacey said sobbing.
“Lil, he knew how loved he was. He knew how loved he was right to the end.”
The heartbreaking scenes left viewers sobbing at home.
One wrote: “That was one of the saddest episode’s I have ever watched.
“I cried from start to finish. I’m glad we saw Sonia and Stacey telling Martin’s children.
“It was heartbreaking. I’d watch again but I’ve got no tears left for now.”
A second said: “Lacey Turner is breaking my heart. It’s too early to be this emotional!”
Martin died in the wreckage of the Queen Vic last week[/caption]
Another addd: “I should not have watched this at 6am.
“Broke my heart. So many amazing moments. Thought the kids did very well at the end of the episode especially Lily who is one amazing little actress.”
Biggest soap stunts
By Conor O’Brien
Soaps are no stranger to dramatic stunts in the storylines. Not only do these moments create a spectacle for viewers, they also fundamentally change characters’ lives.
Here is a look at some of the biggest soap stunts from over the years.
CORONATION STREET
- Tram crash (2010): The ITV soap marked its 50th anniversary with a intense tram crash – and live episode to boot. Overall, the crash and its effects were broadcast across a week in December 2010. Its resulting chaos saw regular characters Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) and Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) die.
- Richard Hillman tries to kill the Platts (2003): Of all the men unlucky-in-love Gail tied the knot with, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) is probably the one she regrets most in hindsight. In 2003, murderer Richard tried to kill his step-family: first by gassing them with car fumes and then driving Gail (Helen Worth), Sarah (Tina O’Brien), David (Jack P. Shepherd) and Bethany (Amy and Emily Walton) into a canal.
EASTENDERS
- Queen Vic fire (2010): In September 2010, EastEnders bid farewell to matriarch Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) as a permanent fixture on the soap – she returned as a guest before the character’s death in 2016. In the build-up to her initial exit, Peggy had trapped crack cocaine-addicted son Phil (Steve McFadden) in the Queen Vic. However, he escaped and set the boozer on fire.
- Bus crash (2017): In April 2017, a total of 11 Albert Square residents had their lives at risk in a terrifying bus crash. The stunt saw a double decker bus – the 764 to Barking – lose control and crash through the Albert Square market before hitting a low-level bridge. Notable passengers at the time included Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper).
EMMERDALE
- James Barton’s death (2016): Interestingly about James’ (Bill Ward) death was that it came in a spiral of events. After wife Emma (Gillian Kearney) locked James up in a jealous rage, he escaped and they tussled on a bridge over the bypass. Emma pushed him and James fell into traffic, in turn causing a 12-vehicle pile up, As well as James dying, key characters including Ashley Thomas (John Middleton) and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) were injured.
A fourth commented: “Devastating, powerful, heart-wrenching.
“I do think killing off Martin is VERY short-sighted, but the aftermath is pulling punch after punch and is exactly how a death for a character like Martin should impact the characters.”
