Lewis Knight
2026-01-17 20:59:00
Actor Stephen Aaron-Sipple has been confirmed to be cast as Mark Fowler Jr in EastEnders.
The BBC One soap is set to reintroduce the son of Michelle Fowler and Grant Mitchell later this month, with Aaron-Sipple having joined the cast in October 2025 and having made his first appearance as Mark in the New Year’s Day episode, which was a flash-forward to 2027.
In the flash-forward, viewers saw Aaron-Sipple’s mystery character -credited as ‘Man’ – briefly interacting with the Beale and Branning clans.
The character will return to Walford in 2026 and be reunited with his half-sister, Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig).
As a result of his heritage, Mark is also a blood relative of the Beale clans and the Mitchells currently on Albert Square – including uncle Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and aunt Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf).
The role of Mark Fowler Jr was originated by actor Ned Porteous for a few weeks in 2016, with Porteous currently seen in his longer-running role as Joe Tate in ITV soap Emmerdale.
New actor Stephen Aaron-Sipple said about joining the cast: “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.”
Meanwhile, 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 Year’s Day flashforward episode, with the circumstances around his upcoming involvement with the Brannings set to unfold throughout the year.”
So what brings Mark Fowler Jr back to Walford?
What do you need to know about Mark Fowler Jr in EastEnders?
As the son of iconic Walford characters Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp), Mark was the result of an unexpected one-night stand between the sworn enemies in 1995. The twist was part of Michelle’s exit story, and she left Albert Square for the US that year while secretly pregnant.
Mark was born off-screen in 1996 and named after Michelle’s beloved older brother, Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) – the only person she told about Mark’s father. During the younger Mark’s life away from Walford, he was raised by Michelle’s subsequent husband, Tim, believing him to be his father.
Through Michelle, Mark is the nephew of his late namesake and the late Martin Fowler (James Bye), the maternal grandson of the late Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard) and late Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher), and the half-brother of Vicki Fowler.
The character did not feature until arriving in Walford in 2016, having been contacted by his uncle Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) following the death of Mark’s secret paternal grandmother, Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor). Phil had found a letter from Michelle to Peggy in Sharon’s handbag, which revealed Mark’s paternity. Sharon and Michelle’s younger brother, Martin Fowler, persuaded Phil to keep the secret from Mark, so he later backed out. Regardless, Mark decided to stay for a longer spell in Walford.
During this time, Mark formed a connection with Grant’s daughter, Courtney Mitchell (Alice Oakes), both unaware that she was his half-sister. Sharon, Martin, and Michelle’s cousin Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) went to great lengths to avoid an incestuous romance without revealing the truth.
Eventually, Grant returned to Walford himself and clashed with Mark due to his friendship with Courtney and connection to Michelle.
Later, Mark joined Grant in rescuing Phil’s son Ben Mitchell (then Harry Reid) from a kidnapping situation, and after this, Phil told Grant that Mark was his son.
After preventing Mark and Courtney from striking up a romance, Grant was persuaded by his former lover and Ian’s wife, Jane Beale (Laurie Brett), to reveal his true identity to Mark
During a conversation in the Queen Vic, however, Mark told Grant that he loved his family in the US and couldn’t wish for a better father than Tim, prompting Grant to stay quiet.
However, in a chat with Sharon before returning to the US, Mark revealed that he had deduced that Grant was his biological father. Sharon encouraged Mark to return to Michelle and not let Grant into his life, to which he agreed and departed Walford. Grant himself left soon after for Portugal.
The following year, a returned Michelle (then played by Jenna Russell) told Sharon that she and Mark were estranged due to her romance with a 17-year-old pupil of hers. However, in 2018, Michelle left Walford to visit and reconcile with both Mark and Vicki.
Mark was last mentioned in February 2025 when Sharon told a recently returned Grant that Mark was aware of his true paternity. Despite Sharon reaching out to Michelle and asking her to get Mark to speak with Grant, Grant decided it would be best to wait until Mark was ready to have him in his life.
Will we ever see Grant and son reunited?
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