Monday night’s episode of The One Show delivered an unexpected twist when host Alex Jones found herself in an on-air gaffe during a candid chat with EastEnders star James Bye. The actor, renowned for his portrayal of Martin Fowler over the past 11 years, recently sat down on the couch to discuss his character’s explosive exit—a dramatic send-off featured in EastEnders’ landmark 40th anniversary live episode.
The segment began with co-host Roman Kemp setting the stage, stating, “Now James the live EastEnders episode didn’t pull any punches…” He then presented viewers with nail-biting footage of Martin’s demise—showing the unforgettable moment when the character met his tragic end beneath a metal beam following the Queen Vic explosion and subsequent cardiac arrest.
As the clip played, Roman remarked, “It feels weird applauding it but it was great, it was unbelievable.” Despite the emotional intensity of the moment, James admitted that he had not yet found the courage to watch his own character’s heartbreaking farewell.
It was during this discussion that Alex Jones inadvertently made her on-air blunder. In a mix-up of identities, she mistakenly referred to James by his soap alter ego, exclaiming: “Martin, Martin? I called you Martin! I did. James!” James responded playfully, “Right, that’s that then!” and humorously feigned walking out in a huff, lightening the mood on set.
Alex quickly recovered from the mishap, quipping: “I tell you what though, I mean the pressure isn’t it, not only are you having to die on screen, you’re dying live” —a remark that drew laughter from both the studio and viewers alike, as reported by the Mirror.
Beyond the gaffe, James opened up about his deep bond with co-star Lacey Turner during the live episode. He shared, “I know, I know, listen I was incredibly lucky because I got to do that with my best friend Lacey Turner and we’ve worked together so much that we sort of knew every little tick that each one of us had. We’d already talked about if one of us went wrong. I was literally holding her hand throughout the whole live (episode) and I can definitely say I would not have been able to do it without her – 100%. Teamwork.”
He further revealed the emotional toll of his exit, admitting, “I was sworn to keep it a secret. Obviously the people involved in the storyline were told not long after I was. In fact I told the exec producer that, well after he made the decision, you have to let me tell Lacey.”
James added, “Anyone else you can tell, but that was the most difficult conversation. Other than telling my wife, she wasn’t over the moon with it to be fair. But telling Lacey was tough and it has been a really emotional couple of months.”
As the show replayed clips of devastated fans mourning Martin Fowler, the legacy of the character was cemented—a bittersweet reminder of the emotional impact and high stakes of live television drama.
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