James Bye broke hearts when his character Martin Fowler was killed off in EastEnders.

From his ups-and-downs with Stacy Slater to his devastating death during the 40th anniversary, his time in Albert Square was never quiet.

Away from the soap, he also lives a very busy life with his wife Victoria and their four sons.

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Childhood
James was born on 23 February 1984, making him 41 years old. He is originally from Basingstoke in England.

The actor attended the Hurst Community College, a secondary school in Baughurst and later went on to study at Queen Mary’s College in Basingstoke.

Acting career
Before joining the popular soap, James starred in one episode of The Bill in 2006 where he played Tom Burrows.

He has starred as John Daly, a main role, in 2013’s The Great Train Robbery and as Pete the Killer in 2014’s The Hooligan Factory.

James tried out reality TV in 2022 and took part in Strictly Come Dancing. He came in 11th place.

He joined the cast of EastEnders in 2014 to portray Martin Fowler, taking on the role from James Alexandrou who had left the soap seven years beforehand.

Some of his biggest storylines included his relationships with Stacy Slater and Ruby Allen, his time in time and discovering his son Arthur wasn’t biologically his child.

James Bye with his wife Victoria and their children

James Bye with his wife Victoria and their children (Image: Instagram)
His character was crushed during the 40th anniversary of EastEnders, which led to him dying. It was later revealed that James wanted to leave the show and it was decided that Martin would die.

His next role has already been announced, with James set to take on the role of Mr. Darcy in the stage adaptation of P. D. James’s mystery novel Death Comes to Pemberley, which is a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Marriage
James is married to Victoria Bye. The couple first tied the knot in 2012 and renewed their vows on a beach in St Lucia in 2023.

Victoria looked back on the early years of their relationship and recalled James turning up at her door during the summer in 2006.

She said: “[He was] in his weird charity shop outfit finds and flat cap. Unapologetically skint and always with a Marlborough Light hanging out of his mouth. I fell head over heels.”

Victoria runs a popular Instagram account called Life With the Byes, which has over 128k followers. She shares updates of her life with James and their kids. In January, she shared that she also started writing for a magazine called Brood.

Victoria opened up about parenthood and how different it was after having each son.

She said: “You see, for me, the transition from ‘none to one’ was the most brutal. (I mean it was wonderful & all that) but let’s not pull any punches – It. Was. Brutal.

“The sanctuary of my newlywed bliss, loudly & unapologetically shattered. Where once we’d spend wknd afternoons strolling hand in hand to beer gardens, we now held a changing bag of epic proportions, a wonky stair gate & a pram neither of could figure out. Lie ins were relegated to memory & ‘us’ time now included a chubby faced noise maker.

“But we were lucky. He was “a good baby.” And through his endless smiles, slowly, the ‘new’ – became the normal. And then… well, then we couldn’t remember a time without him…

“And so when No.2 came along, it felt like it was meant to be. We had all the stuff. We’d accepted the fact that sleep was a thing of the past. We’d done this before – we could do it again. Right?

“Er, no. Not this guy. He was a tyrant. Very cute, but with that wild look in his eye. Plus – I now had a toddler to add to the mix. Baby groups are a thing of the past when you have a 2-year-old trying to climb out of the window. Yeah, so 1 to 2. It’s not for the faint hearted.”

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She continued: “But, by that point I had a support network, other Mums going through the same shit-show I was. And so when No. 3 came along. A content & happy little soul, it felt like the easiest step so far. And then, we were in our groove. Everyone finally at school, a much-needed bit of me time – right? Er, again – no.

“Introducing No.4. Yes, I was wiser, but I was also older (the dreaded geriatric mother) And I was shattered.Plus, I’d been lulled into the false sense of security by sweet tempered No. 3.

“Whereas this fella – he’s quite literally, head wrecking. (He loves a headbutt) He’s a small but mighty mischief machine with a grin that’ll break your heart. Yep. He may bring destruction wherever he goes. But he’s got us wrapped around his little finger. And he knows it. Number 5 you say? James? James?!”