James Bye is best known for playing Martin Fowler on EastEnders but the character has been killed off after suffering from Crush syndrome in the Queen Vic explosion

EastEnders: The Queen Vic explodes

James Bye, better known as Martin Fowler, has left EastEnders in a heartbreaking storyline to mark the soap’s 40th anniversary.

The actor has played the popular character since 2014 after taking over the role from Jon Peyton-Price (1985-1986) and James Alexandrou (1996-2007).

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During Thursday’s (February 20) live episdoe to mark the soap’s 40th anniversary, Martin had his legs crushed by a steel beam moments after confessing his love to his ex-wife Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).

Large portions of the live special focused on the rescue crew’s attempts to lift the beam off of him, with Stacey sitting by his side through the ordeal.

Sadly, the medics attempting to help Martin informed Stacey that he was likely to suffer from Crush syndrome and the toxins as a result of his legs being crushed would lead to kidney failure or a cardiac arrest when the beam was lifted.

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Crush syndrome is a life-threatening condition that occurs when skeletal muscle is crushed, causing major shock and kidney failure. It’s also known as traumatic rhabdomyolysis.

Hailing from Basingstoke, James has had roles in other notable series such as The Bill and The Great Train Robbery before joining EastEnders in 2014.

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Apart from his acting career, James has graced TV screens on popular shows including Strictly Come Dancing, Pointless Celebrities, Richard Osman’s House of Games, and The Wall. When not in front of the camera, he leads an active life with his wife and four kids, often delighting fans by documenting their family escapades online.

The medics attempting to help Martin informed Stacey Slater that he was likely to suffer from Crush syndrome (Image: BBC/Firebird/Natalie Seery)

His recent foray into the world of dance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022, where he partnered with pro dancer Amy Dowden, was memorable but not without its fumbles. Speaking to Digital Spy, James divulged some of their more calamitous moments: “I’ve dropped her, I’ve spun her into the ground,” and also shared a particularly clumsy moment: “I kneed her [and] gave her a proper dead leg. I took the wrong step and I just kneed her right on the inside of the leg, and she was hobbling on.”

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This revelation comes after he recounted a different strenuous injury sustained during practice, as reported by Wales Online, reports the Express.

James and his wife Victoria live in Buckinghamshire with their four children(Image: (Image: Getty))

Chatting with Rylan Clark on the Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, James revealed a rehearsal mishap: “I was trying to show Amy in rehearsal how strong I was by doing pull ups on a girder and I ripped my finger open.”

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He half-joked, “It is only my wedding ring keeping my finger on at the moment” before adding with a chuckle, “Let’s see how we get on with that one! ” This injury didn’t stop James and his dance partner Amy Dowden from being competitive, though they were ultimately the fifth pair voted off Strictly Come Dancing.

James is recognised most for his portrayal of Martin Fowler in EastEnders, a character with a storied history in the soap since 1985. Stepping into the role in 2014 after a seven-year absence of the character from Albert Square, Bye brought new life to Martin, who had previously been known for major plotlines including underage pregnancy and time behind bars.

Amy Dowden wept as James delivered an emotional tribute to her on It Takes Two in 2022(Image: (Image: BBC2))

Upon marking a decade of portraying the beloved Walford resident, James expressed gratitude to his fans on social media stating, “What a journey… Huge love to those of you who’ve messaged me on my anniversary today! It means so much. Truly…” He affectionately signed off, “Big love to you all… From your favourite fruit and veg man.”

The actor’s personal life is just as full, with a marriage and children completing the picture of James’ world away from the Square.

James has a starkly different off-screen life — one that’s far less complicated and much more contented when it comes to matters of the heart. Married to Victoria for over a decade, they first crossed paths 16 years ago in an evidently fateful encounter at a Sainsbury’s car park, where Bye was working a promotional job and “handed Victoria a fruit jelly”, recounts What to Watch.

Lacey Turner is a close friends with James away from the soap(Image: (Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron))

This charming act eventually led to a meet-up at a local pub, planting the seeds for their flourishing romance. Now settled in Buckinghamshire, James and Victoria lead a joyful family life with their four lively children: Edward, Louis,Hugo and Rufus.

In January 2023, the couple decided to celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary by renewing their vows in the tropical paradise of St Lucia, capturing the precious moment against a backdrop of a breathtaking sunset, as seen on their shared family Instagram account alongside a touching note: “Happy 1 year anniversary to us…. (again).”

Victoria curates a personal Instagram blog by the name ‘Life With The Byes’, inviting followers into their everyday adventures as a bustling family.

James asked fellow actor Davood Ghadami to be godfather to Hugo(Image: (Image: BBC))

She once opened up about the realities of parenthood under the public gaze, voicing her reflections on their life: “We finally settled in beautiful Bucks and the boys have grown up surrounded by countryside in our messy, noisy home and we’ve tried our best to keep things normal in the happy (and sometimes hectic) life we have. But it’s still a worry..

“When Louis comes home from school and anxiously asks me what ‘famous’ is. Or when Hugo thinks it’s normal that everyone takes selfies with his dad.”

These are the candid parental moments television star James experiences as a father. Off-screen, however, his connection with co-star Lacey Turner, who plays his on-screen ex-wife Stacey, extends beyond the dramatic storylines of Walford.

James and Lacey have forged such a strong bond off the set that he even asked her to become Godmother to his third child, Hugo. Recollecting the moment he asked her, James revealed to OK!

Magazine: “I took Lacey out for lunch to ask her. I was quite nervous and I was getting choked up asking her.” Lacey was evidently moved by the gesture, telling him “it was an honour”.

In another intertwining of life and art, in 2019, Lacey welcomed a baby girl named Dusty with husband Matt Kay, whom she married in 2017.

With only a small age gap between Dusty and Hugo, Victoria Bye confided in OK! Magazine about her enthusiasm for the children to grow up together.The familial bonds extend to other members of the EastEnders cast as well, with James having asked fellow actor Davood Ghadami, known for his role as Kush Kazemi until his character’s exit in 2021, to be godfather to Hugo, further blurring the lines between the Square and reality.