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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Victoria Johns

What happened to EastEnders’ Fowler family – from Bridgerton star to tragic death

As the longest-serving family in the history of EastEnders - everyone knows the Fowlers.

From Arthur to Pauline, Michelle to Mark - the gang made history on the BBC soap, which made its debut in 1985.

Part of the programme since it began, the family was never far from the drama - including murders, punch-ups and an underage pregnancy.

But the cast have also had their fair share of ups and downs.

From a tragic death aged just 20 to bagging a role on Netflix smash-hit Bridgerton, we take a look at what happened to one of Britain's most famous families.

Pauline Fowler

Played by seasoned actress Wendy Richard, Pauline Fowler clocked up an impressive 22 years in Walford.

Wendy shot to fame playing Miss Brahms in BBC's Are You Being Served, before later popping up in ITV's Benidorm as Sylvia - who ended up in a fight with Madge.

The actress left EastEnders in 2006 before going on to star in Agatha Christie's Marple TV series, where she played the maid, Mrs Crump.

After a incredibly successful career, Wendy sadly passed away aged 65 in 2006 after a long battle with breast cancer.

Shortly before her death, the actress was made an MBE in the millennium honours.

In her autobiography, Wendy Richard: My Life Story, the star said: "Looking back on my career, I've virtually no regrets."

Arthur Fowler

Actor Bill Treacher was the first person to be cast in EastEnders.

Now 91, the star has notched up a number of TV roles including The Bill and Casualty.

Bill also made the move into movies, starring in George and the Dragon and Tale of the Mummy.

The actor is married to Australian actress Katherine Kessey, and the couple share two children, Jamie and Sophie.

In 2015, Bill revealed he suffered from ataxia, which affects his balance and ability to walk.

Asked at the time whether he was eying up any more TV roles, he said: “I’m not doing any work now. I can’t bloody well walk.”

Mark Fowler

The son of Arthur and Pauline, Mark was played by two different actors.

David Scarboro was first cast in the role in 1985, however the troubled star was written out in April 1985.

Following his departure, David was tragically found dead in East Sussex in 1988, aged just 20 years old.

David tragically died, aged just 20 (IMDb)
Todd Carty played Mark for 13 years (Getty Images)

Todd Carty, 58, took over the role after the tragedy, and stayed on the Square for 13 years.

The actor went on to appear in The Bill and Celebrity MasterChef and of course, there was his memorable performance in Dancing On Ice.

Billed as one of the "worst contestants ever", the star gave real comedy value on the series in 2009.

Todd shares two sons, James and Thomas, with his partner Dina Clarki.

Mark Fowler

Ned Porteous, played the son of Michelle Fowler and Grant Mitchell in 2016 before leaving the soap to go to Emmerdale.

The actor played Joe Tate in the Leeds-based soap from 2017, after his character initially used the alias, Tom Waterhouse.

However, star-studded success beckoned as Ned, 27, went on to bag himself a role in Netflix drama Bridgerton, where he played Lord Wetherby.

Ned looks set to to reprise his role on the second series of 'Bonkerton' - so called because of it many sex scenes - which returns to Netflix in March.

Michelle Fowler

Michelle was played by actress Susan Tully, 54, who made her debut in the first episode of the soap in 1985.

With a controversial underage pregnancy storyline under her belt, Susan, left the show after 10 years to pursue a career in directing.

The talented star now a number of credits to her name including including Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Silent Witness, Stella and recent BBC drama The A Word.

Martin Fowler

Michelle's brother Martin was played by James Alexandrou, 36, for more than 12 years.

The character had a number of high-impact storylines, including the murder of Jamie Mitchell.

James left the soap in 2007 to pursue other opportunities and went on to present BBC Three's Bizarre Crime as well as starring in Silent Witness.

The actor has also produced music videos - including pop star Anne Marie’s first offering Karate in 2015, and Frightened Rabbit’s 2016 track I Wish I Was Sober.

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