EastEnders’ Vicki Fowler is set to tie the knot with Ross Marshall in May, despite her affair with Zack Hudson, and we do enjoy a juicy love scandal.
Vicki (Alice Haig), who’s been unfaithful, is the offspring of Michelle Fowler and ‘Dirty’ Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), making her the biological half-sibling of Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) and the adoptive sister of the legendary Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).
Despite her ties to Sharon, Vicki has been having secret rendezvous with Zack Hudson (James Farrar), who happens to be Sharon’s biological half-brother. They’re not related by blood, but it’s clear why Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) disapproves of their liaison.
Being Dirty Den’s daughter, Vicki isn’t particularly concerned about her cousin Ian’s views, and considering his romantic past, she shouldn’t be. However, it seems somewhat implausible that Michelle Fowler wouldn’t return to Walford to witness her only daughter marrying Ross (Alex Walkinshaw)?
Michelle, despite being close to Sharon and the Beales, hasn’t been given a second thought. Pauline Fowler would certainly be turning up her nose at her daughter Michelle’s lack of effort, reports OK!
She is an original character who gave birth to Vicki back in 1986, just a year after the BBC soap debuted. Vicki is a legacy character and the child of one of soapland’s most notorious villains; her wedding needs to be a grand event, a true East End knees-up, and her remaining parent must be present.
Moreover, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as Michelle also enjoyed dabbling in deception, having conducted an affair with her best friend Sharon’s father, before a paternity mystery unfolded that left her own parents, Pauline (Wendy Richard) and Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher), absolutely furious.
Michelle’s return for Vicki’s wedding would be an absolute delight for devoted viewers of the BBC soap; the arguments, the nostalgia and the mother-daughter tension would be unrivalled. It’s logical and completely justifies Vicki’s shocking storyline.
We mustn’t overlook that Michelle’s son, Mark, has also returned to Walford after a 10-year hiatus and is due to reconnect with his father, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp).
Considering the soap wrote off Martin Fowler last year, I believe the very least they could manage is bringing back his sole surviving sibling (still not over his demise).
Who precisely was Michelle Fowler in EastEnders
Michelle Fowler is the consistently star-crossed daughter of Pauline and her spouse Arthur, and she also has two brothers, Mark (Todd Carty) and Martin (James Bye).
The role was originally played by Susan Tully when EastEnders launched in February 1985. At merely 17, she arrived in Walford, having just finished her time in Grange Hill as Suzanne Ross.
Tully, who played Michelle for ten years, was central to countless major storylines, from adolescent pregnancy to shocking liaisons with married men.
Michelle discovered genuine love with kindly publican Lofty Holloway (Tom Watt) and enjoyed a passionate affair with Grant, yet her time in Walford wasn’t meant to endure.
In 1995, she said goodbye to Walford, whisking Vicki away to America for a fresh start after falling pregnant with Grant’s baby, whom she christened Mark in tribute to her deceased brother.
Michelle staged a divisive comeback on December 24, 2016, portrayed by Jenna Russell. She remained for 18 months, with her storyline featuring a liaison with a teenager. Could Michelle ever make another return to Albert Square?
