Strictly's Lacey Turner: 'My heart will never mend from EastEnders killing off Martin Fowler'
Martin Fowler, played by James Bye, was killed off in the dramatic 40th anniversary live episode of EastEnders, which aired in February 2025.
EastEnders' Lacey Turner will never get over the BBC soap's bosses deciding to kill off Martin Fowler.
In the dramatic 40th anniversary live episode, which aired in February 2025, James Bye's character was crushed by a falling beam after helping Lacey's alter ego Stacey Slater escape the rubble of the Queen Victoria pub after Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) smashed his car into the boozer.
The former couple's final moments saw them re-declare their love for each other, before Martin died in Stacey's arms, leaving fans and Lacey, 38, heartbroken.
She particularly struggled with the loss because of her close friendship with James, 42, who was on EastEnders for 11 years.
Lacey told the new issue of Heat magazine: "My heart will never mend from EastEnders killing off Martin Fowler. It was absolutely heartbreaking for me. I believe he was Stacey's true love."
Martin is not the only beloved character whose death affected Lacey and fans.
Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement) took her last breath during the New Year's Day 2012 episode of EastEnders after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Sisters Roxy (Rita Simons) and Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) drowned together in a swimming pool just hours after the latter married Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) in the New Year’s Day 2017 episode.
And Robbie Jackson's (Dean Gaffney's) beloved Belgian Tervuren dog Wellard died after his sister Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) accidentally fed the pooch a piece of chocolate, which made him ill and led to him being euthanised by a vet during the August 15, 2008, episode.
Lacey, who left EastEnders last year for a break to spend time with her husband Matt Kay and their children - daughters Dusty, seven, and Gipsy, 19 months, and five-year-old son Trilby - is hoping her fan-favourite character Stacey will not be killed off.
She said: "If I bump into people now, they always say, 'When are you coming back?'
"It's so lovely that people miss her - I miss her, too. I really hope they don't kill Stacey off.
"They killed the legend that is Pat Butcher, as well as Ronnie and Roxy, I'll never get over it! Oh, and even Wellard the dog! You can never say never in this business."
During the February 19, 2010, live episode to celebrate EastEnders' 25th anniversary, Stacey confessed to her father-in-law - and also lover - Max Branning (Jake Wood) that she killed Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after bludgeoning him over the head with the bust of Queen Victoria inside his pub.
And the revelation left Lacey questioning how she could continue playing her iconic character.
She said: "I wasn't so keen when it was revealed Stacey had killed Archie Mitchell.
"It took me by complete surprise, I thought, 'I don't know how to play her now because she's killed someone.'"
