Feathers are going to be ruffled for two EastEnders families as Mark Fowler Jr is set to return after a decade away, with star Stephen Aaron-Sipple taking over the role.
Mark, as longtime fans of the BBC One soap will know, is the son of Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp).
Prior to leaving Walford in 1995, Michelle told her brother – and son’s namesake – Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) that Grant, who she’d had a one night stand with, was her baby’s father.
Mark Jr was born in 1996 and spent two decades believing his dad was a man named Tim – that is, until he returned to the Square in 2016.
Played by Ned Porteous, who is best known as Emmerdale’s Joe Tate, Mark uncovered the truth of his paternity, as did Grant. The two, however, never had the opportunity to get to know one another, with Mark subsequently departing the Square.
But flashforward a decade and Mark will make another Walford comeback, with Stephen Aaron-Sipple stepping into the role. This time around, the character reunites with sister Vicki (Alice Haig), who relocated to the Square from Australia last year.
It won’t just be the Fowler clan that Mark will be joining, however, as the Mitchells will also be rocked by his unexpected return.
Little is known about why Mark has returned and what he has been up to in the time he has been away, but – in typical EastEnders fashion – it soon becomes clear not all is as it seems!
Confirmation of his comeback also solves the first of the many questions viewers were left with after the Max Branning (Jake Wood) flashforward episode which aired on New Year’s Day.
The offering in question was set in 2027 and saw an unnamed man – played by star Stephen – lurking in the background of various scenes and waving to Max from across the street, which left viewers convinced that he was to become a key character in the year ahead.
Discussing his casting, Stephen said: ‘Having grown up in East London, EastEnders has been in my life since childhood and I’m excited to be joining not one, but two iconic Albert Square families!
‘I’m looking forward to viewers seeing why Mark is back, and what Walford has in store for him.’
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EastEnders’ Executive Producer Ben Wadey added: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Stephen Aaron-Sipple to EastEnders and bring Mark back to Albert Square.
‘Viewers had a glimpse of Mark in the New Years Day flashforward episode, with the circumstances around his upcoming involvement with the Brannings set to unfold throughout the year.’
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
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