The BBC soap star aJames Bye is trading in his market stall for a day as he tries his hand at presenting the BBC’s Homes Under the Hammer for a special celebrity edition
Strictly 2022: James Bye emotional over mention of his sons
Eastenders actor James Bye is trading the BBC soap’s market stall for a spot of home renovation as he hosts a celebrity edition of Homes Under the Hammer.
The actor joins forces with presenter Martel Maxwell to delve into a property in Leicestershire, where James gets hands-on with the refurbishment.
Celebrity Homes Under the Hammer will air at its regular 11.15am slot on Friday (December 13) on BBC One, forming part of a star-studded week of the daytime programme.
Born and bred in Basingstoke, Hampshire, Bye appeared in The Bill and The Great Train Robbery before stepping into the shoes of Martin Fowler in EastEnders in 2014. Since then, he’s appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, Pointless Celebrities, Richard Osman’s House of Games and The Wall.
Away from the small screen, he leads a bustling life with his wife and four children in a beautiful home, with their lively exploits regularly shared on social media, reports Wales Online.
Strictly Come Dancing accident
James experienced a few unfortunate incidents while performing on Strictly with his dance partner Amy Dowden in 2022.
“I’ve dropped her, I’ve spun her into the ground,” the EastEnders actor confessed to Digital Spy. “I kneed her [and] gave her a proper dead leg.I took the wrong step and I just kneed her right on the inside of the leg, and she was hobbling on.”
This follows the actor’s recollection of a nasty injury during training earlier in the competition.
Speaking to host Rylan Clark on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, James said: “I was trying to show Amy in rehearsal how strong I was by doing pull ups on a girder and I ripped my finger open.”
“It is only my wedding ring keeping my finger on at the moment” he confided to Rylan Clark, before jokingly adding, “Let’s see how we get on with that one! .”
James Bye and his dance partner Amy Dowden became the fifth duo to depart from the dance floor of Strictly Come Dancing.
How James Bye got his EastEnders breakthrough
James Byes rose to fame when he landed the role of Martin Fowler in EastEnders – a popular character in the show who was formerly married to Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy).
Previously, the character was played by Joe Peyton Price from 1985 to 1996, but was most prominently played by James Alexandrou in the 2000s with big storylines including underage pregnancy plots and a prison sentence.
Despite being offered the chance to reprise the role, James Alexandrou turned down the opportunity in 2007. A subsequent casting hunt led to James Bye taking over as Martin Fowler in 2014.
Commemorating a decade of embodying the beloved character, James shared to his fans on social media: “What a journey… Huge love to those of you who’ve messaged me on my anniversary today! It means so much. Truly..
“Big love to you all… From your favourite fruit and veg man.”
Inside James Bye’s family life with children
Away from the tumultuous romantic affairs of his character in Walford, actor James Bye enjoys a serene and stable family life.
James has been happily hitched to his wife Victoria for over a decade. The couple’s love story began in an unexpected locationa Sainsbury’s car park16 years ago, where Bye was handing out promotional items and “handed Victoria a fruit jelly” as reported by What to Watch.
Their romance blossomed after he invited her for a date at the local pub.
Now residing in Buckinghamshire with their four sons Edward, 10, Louis, eight, Hugo, five, and Rufus, one, the couple celebrated their enduring love by renewing their wedding vows in St Lucia this January 2023, marking 10 years of marriage.
The pair commemorated the occasion with a sunset photo shared on their family Instagram account, captioning it: “Happy 1 year anniversary to us…. (again).”
Victoria curates an Instagram blog titled Life With The Byes, offering followers a glimpse into their daily life as a bustling family of five.
She once candidly discussed the challenges of parenting while in the public eye.
In her words: “We finally settled in beautiful Bucks and the boys have grown up surrounded by countryside in our messy, noisy home and we’ve tried our best to keep things normal in the happy (and sometimes hectic) life we have. But it’s still a worry..”
“When Louis comes home from school and anxiously asks me what ‘famous’ is.”
“Or when Hugo thinks it’s normal that everyone takes selfies with his dad.”
Bond with EastEnders co-star
Outside of EastEnders, James Bye and Lacey Turner share a friendship that goes beyond their tumultuous relationship and former marriage.
In fact, the pair’s bond is so strong, James even asked Lacey to be Godmother to his third child Hugo.
Speaking to OK! at the time, the soap star said: “I took Lacey out for lunch to ask her. I was quite nervous and I was getting choked up asking her.
“Bless her, she was really taken aback and said it was an honour.”
In 2019, Lacey gave birth to a baby girl called Dusty with husband Matt Kay, who she married in 2017.
James’ wife Victoria also told Ok! Magazine that she is excited for Dusty and Hugo to grow up together, as they are very close in age.
James also asked former EastEnders co-star Davood Ghadami, who played Kush Kazemi until his character was killed off in 2021, to be godfather to his and wife Victoria’s son Hugo.
