Little Arthur Fowler is consumed with grief in EastEnders in the wake of Martin’s (James Bye) death.

Martin, as viewers know, tragically died last week with one true love Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) by his side during a special live episode of the BBC One soap to commemorate 40 years on air.

The Queen Vic exploded in flames during Honey and Billy Mitchell’s (Emma Barton and Perry Fenwick) wedding day after Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) crashed his vehicle into the pub.

Martin successfully saved the lives of his loved ones, including Stacey, who he stayed behind to free from falling debris. But as the former flames discussed the possibility of a reunion, a beam from above collapsed, landing on Martin’s legs.

The paramedics did all they could but unfortunately Martin died in emotional scenes. News of his passing has sent the Square into mourning, with Arthur, Hope, Roman and Lily (Lilia Turner) all heartbroken.

Arthur in particular has taken the news badly, given that this isn’t the first time he’s been through something as tragic as this.

Who is Arthur’s dad in EastEnders and what happened to him?

Arthur, named after Martin’s legendary father, is the biological son of former market trader Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami).

Stacey slept with Kush in 2015 while he was on a break with Shabnam (Rakhee Thakrar) and before she started dating Martin.

Martin was delighted when he found out that Stacey was pregnant, with Stacey informing him that he was the father.

Stacey kept shtum about the baby’s paternity for a while before ultimately confiding in best friend Shabnam, telling her that Martin wasn’t the father – though she refrained from revealing that Kush was.

Kush, meanwhile, began to wonder if he was the baby’s father instead. When the baby was born, Martin named the child after his beloved dad Arthur, which left Stacey all the more conflicted about the situation.Stacey subsequently suffered from postpartum psychosis, with Martin coming to her aid as she was hospitalised and taken to a mother and baby unit.

The truth about Arthur’s paternity soon came to light, leaving Martin heartbroken. Despite the conflict between he and best mate Kush, however, the pair would ultimately put Arthur’s needs above their own, with both characters proving themselves great dads to the little boy.

Kush, however, sadly met a tragic end in 2021 when he was pushed in front of a moving tube train by serial killer Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith).

Martin’s death therefore is the second time that Arthur has had to go through the trauma of losing a parent.