Is Martin Fowler the dead body in EastEnders at Christmas?

He's a legacy character and a beloved one at that, but we'd be remiss to overlook Martin! So read on as we dive into all the clues below.

Is Martin Fowler the dead body in EastEnders at Christmas?

No, Martin Fowler is not the dead body at Christmas in EastEnders.

Actor James Bye has been confirmed for scenes as Martin Fowler in EastEnders in January 2024, including scenes on the New Year's Day episode with best pal Zack Hudson (James Farrar).

So, the Fowler favourite lives to fight another day!

Here's why some thought it could be Martin...

Martin Fowler's criminal era

Remember back in 2019, when Martin Fowler was doing Ben Mitchell's (Max Bowden) bidding? When Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) found out that Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) had been having an affair with Phil's then-wife Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), he wanted the younger man dead.

So Ben paid Martin, who was desperate for cash, to shoot Keanu dead. The above clip links the final scene on Christmas Day 2019 to the events of the upcoming festive season, because of a crackling fire.

Back then, Martin was seen burning evidence, while Christmas 2023 sees a similar fire roaring in the background as The Six surveyed the dead body. Martin turned his life around and later reclaimed his family's fruit and veg stall, but perhaps EastEnders is keen to remind us of that surreal time in his life!

Of course, we know that Martin didn't actually kill Keanu - it was all staged! But more on that as we explore the rest of this theory below...

Stay Another Day - East 17

While East 17's Stay Another Day was most recently heard in the show's flashforward sequence, it has been used as a covering track for EastEnders' Christmas episodes before. Yes, that's right, at the same time that Martin was 'covering his tracks' back in 2019! See what we did there?

Is there a connection here? Martin recently had a brief reunion with his ex, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) - and they only split because of outside forces, both heartbroken to call it quits once more. If Martin ends up dead, this music certainly fits the bill, as Stace will be devastated!

The Sharon Watts theory

When RadioTimes.com looked a little closer at the flashforward, we heard some voices just as Sharon bent to check the pulse on the body. Our theory was that these were flashbacks of voices from her past, given Sharon's connection to The Vic.

We wondered whether Sharon could be close to the victim, but until now, we hadn't factored in that that person could be Martin! Sharon was best friends with Martin's big sister Michelle, and the pair are like siblings themselves.

This would explain the possibility of a past 'presence'; and then there's the sound of a clock which stops ticking as the death is confirmed. Signalling the end of an era with the death of legacy character Martin? We really hope not, but at this point, we're not ruling anything out!

Connection to The Six

As well as Martin being Stacey's ex-husband, co-parent and best mate, and being like family to Sharon, he's also Kathy Cotton's (Gillian Taylforth) godson and nephew, through her marriage to Martin's late uncle Pete Beale (Peter Dean).

Now onto some looser - but nevertheless, present - connections to the women involved in this whodunnit. Before Martin faked his killing of Keanu, it was a drunk Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) who stumbled upon the two men, where she intervened, shooting Keanu herself to cause a minor injury, so Martin could use the video footage as proof of his 'deed'.

The following year, Martin was attacked by Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota), and this was covered up by Vinny's mum Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal). Finally, Denise Fox (Diane Parish) is now linked to Martin, as her stepson Ricky Branning (Frankie Day) has fathered a baby with Martin's stepdaughter Lily Slater (Lillia Turner).

So, Martin has links to all of The Six. But why would any of them want him dead? Well, could Suki want rid of him if he finds out that Vinny was his attacker, not Suki's other son Jags, whom she set up to take the fall before he was killed in prison? Kathy is looking Suki's way as they all stand near the body...

Stacey Slater's Knight in Shining Armour?

Remember, the victim could be caught in the crossfire, rather than an intended target. We've discussed elsewhere that Jack or Phil might step in to help Stacey against stalker Theo Hawthorne (William Ellis) on Christmas Day, seeing as a 'knight in shining armour' is spotted near her.

But what if it's protective Martin who looks out for her instead? He's a likely candidate, and this could result in his death if Theo gets violent.

We're starting to scare ourselves here, and if EastEnders actually does kill Martin we predict a riot - but let's face it, not many locals are going to want Martin dead, so this is one of the only ways in which he could be the victim.

Read more:

• Is Phil Mitchell the dead body in EastEnders at Christmas? All the clues and theories
• Is Dean Wicks the dead body in EastEnders at Christmas? All the clues and theories
• EastEnders airs cryptic Christmas murder clue in early BBC iPlayer release

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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