EastEnders reveals Mark Fowler Jr’s secret and surprise connection to Walford local in BBC iPlayer release

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EastEnders viewers now know why Mark Fowler Jr. (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) unexpectedly came back and what caused his injuries. He recently explained everything.

On Thursday evening, the character – whose parents are Michelle Fowler and Grant Mitchell – unexpectedly arrived at his uncle Phil’s house, visibly injured and needing help.

Sharp-eyed fans may remember seeing him before. Mark briefly appeared in an uncredited scene during a flash-forward to New Year’s Day 2027.

After ten years away, Vicki (Alice Haig) returned to Albert Square with many questions. Mark had spent the night on the sofa recovering from his injuries and quickly discovered the Mitchell house was bustling with activity.

He met his aunt Sam, played by Kim Medcalf, who asked him not to call her ‘auntie’. He also reconnected with his dad’s friend, Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), who is staying with Phil while dealing with early-onset dementia.

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Mark said he came to support Vicki before Joel Marshall’s trial, but he wasn’t telling the whole truth. He confided in Phil that he’s hiding from dangerous people who mistakenly believe he’s been working with the police.

He was counting on his uncle to help him, but it was too late. Phil was planning to leave for Portugal with Nigel that same night, making any assistance impossible.

At the café, Mark spotted Joel’s father, Ross, and immediately confronted him, angrily accusing him of letting Joel mistreat Vicki. Vicki, feeling pressured, awkwardly apologized and told Ross to go home, not realizing the trouble that might be heading her way.

Someone Mark didn’t recognize had sent him a photo of her at work, and he realized he needed to get Phil involved quickly.

At number 55, Sam accidentally let slip Phil’s plan to leave. He revealed that Nigel’s wife, Julie (played by Karen Henthorn), was in Scotland selling their house to pay for Nigel’s care and wasn’t aware of the plot. Mark saw an opportunity and, when Julie unexpectedly returned, he told her everything.

She was incredibly angry and strongly scolded Phil for his careless actions. Julie then decided it was time for her and Nigel to leave, and made a reservation for them at the Peacock Palace for an extended stay.

Now that Phil was backed into a difficult situation, Mark urgently asked for his help again. Mark was determined to find the actual informant, and warned that whoever it was would be in serious danger – essentially, they wouldn’t survive.

While he was talking, a flashback showed the man was actually Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara). He avoided prison by making a deal to help the police in Walford take down London’s drug networks.

Should Ravi be worried, or will the shoe be on the other foot?

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Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, providing the latest news and spoilers for popular shows like Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and even worked on the sets of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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2026-01-26 15:36