Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) has made a dramatic exit from Walford in Thursday's (August 6) episode of EastEnders, after Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) asked him to leave. The departure comes less than a year after his debut on the square.
Lauren's request
Lauren, who has been falling for Mark since they went into business together earlier this year, asked him to leave after their relationship intensified. Despite sharing passionate kisses and contemplating taking things further, Lauren resisted, fearing the impact an affair would have on Peter Beale (Thomas Law), who was already suspicious.
When Peter interrupted a tense moment between Lauren and Mark, she covered her tracks by revealing she had been selling dodgy motors with the former gangster. The revelation stunned Peter, who asked for space to decide if they had a future.
Mark's sacrifice
Lauren then met with Mark and told him that if he truly cared for her, he would leave the Square. Mark was conflicted but, seeing the impact of Peter and Lauren's falling out on Louie, he resolved to do as Lauren asked. In emotional scenes, Mark said goodbye to his sister Vicki (Alice Haig) before getting into a cab and leaving Walford.
Return teased
However, this exit may not be permanent. Mark is set to feature in events on New Year's Day, as teased in the flashforward episode earlier this year, meaning he will be back. Whether his feelings for Lauren are pivotal in his return remains to be seen.
