EastEnders has portrayed the heartbreaking aftermath of Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) sudden passing, as his family and the Walford community struggle to come to terms with the loss. In the episode aired on Monday, February 24, Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), who was recovering in the hospital after giving birth to baby Julia, had to break the devastating news to her and Martin’s daughter, Bex (Jasmine Armfield).
At home, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) visited Sonia, urging her to stay connected with her newborn despite her grief. Moved by Linda’s support, Sonia offered her and her family a place to stay after the destruction of The Queen Vic. Meanwhile, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) was also recovering from injuries sustained in the pub explosion. She confided in Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) about her despair at never seeing her ‘brother’ again and shared that Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) had informed Martin’s grieving sister, Michelle (Susan Tully, Jenna Russell), about the tragic loss.
Elsewhere, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) was left heartbroken, revealing to her mother, Jean (Gillian Wright), that she and Martin had reconciled and that he had proposed before his untimely death.
Meanwhile, Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) was struggling to process the loss of her partner and father of their son, Roman, unaware that Martin had spent his final moments making peace with his ex-wife, Stacey. She felt abandoned when no one came to check on her and Roman, except for Zack Hudson (James Farrar), who offered his support. Zack reassured Ruby that Martin would have saved her too if she had been trapped in the explosion, leading to an emotional embrace between them, as reported by Plymouth Live.
Now, some EastEnders viewers are speculating that a romantic connection might develop between Ruby and Zack following Martin’s tragic death. Fans took to social media platform X to share their predictions. One viewer hoped the two wouldn’t become a couple, while another suspected they might share a moment of grief before Ruby’s departure. Others were convinced that a relationship was on the horizon, with multiple comments speculating that Ruby and Zack could soon get together.
