BBC soap EastEnders aired emotional scenes on Monday (April 7) as Martin Fowler’s funeral took place. But, fans don’t think it should have gotten to this stage.
Martin died during the show’s live episode in February after being crushed by a steel beam following the explosion in The Queen Vic.
However, a huge number of fans think killing Martin off was the wrong decision.
Martin Fowler dies in EastEnders
EastEnders always pull something big out of the bag for their special episodes, and their 40th anniversary was no different.
Martin’s death was kept under wraps until the airing of the live episode, but given the perilous position he was in for the whole episode, his death was perhaps inevitable.
After rescuing Stacey, Martin then found himself trapped under a fallen beam. Stacey and Martin tearfully told each other they loved each other, with Martin even proposing to Stacey.
But it soon became clear that once the beam was lifted off Martin, he wouldn’t survive. And sure enough, after smiling at Stacey one last time, he went into cardiac arrest and passed away from his injuries.
Most recently played by James Bye, the character of Martin Fowler has been part of the EastEnders furniture for almost 40 years and has the accolade of being the first baby born on the soap. So the decision to kill off such an iconic character was a massive one.
97% of EastEnders fans think Martin’s death was wrong decision
In a poll run by Entertainment Daily, a huge 97.5% of EastEnders viewers believe killing off Martin was the wrong decision.
Martin’s death has been felt by almost everyone in Albert Square. Since his tragic passing back in February, the soap has had many episodes dedicated to the residents of the Square processing their grief.
His funeral finally took place on Monday – with Bex and Vicki returning for the occasion. As the residents of the Square lined the Square to give Martin the goodbye he deserved, fans wondered why EastEnders had made such a big decision in the first place.
“I’m still not over them killing Martin off. I genuinely feel angry about it, was such a mistake! and such a loss to the show,” wrote one fan on X.
“I’ll never forgive them for taking Martin away from us,” added a second fan.
Read more: EastEnders spoilers for next week: First look as Martin’s funeral takes place
EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One
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