Michelle Fowler

Michelle Fowler was initially played by Susan Tully from the show's inception in 1985 for ten years. The character is the daughter of Pauline and Arthur Fowler, sister to Mark Fowler and mother to Vicki Fowler & Mark Fowler Jnr. She fell pregnant when she was 16 and the father was Den Watts who was the adoptive father of her best friend Sharon Watts.

After an absence spanning twenty one years, it was announced in December that Michelle was making a return to Albert Square, now played by newcomer Jenna Russell.

About
Moody teen Michelle was tough, feisty, and full of attitude. With her feminine influence coming from two of Walford's mightiest matriarchs - grandma Lou and mum Pauline Fowler -it's no surprise that she was hard as nails. At 16 she fell pregnant after a steamy one-night stand with pub landlord (and best friend Sharon's dad) Den Watts. She refused to have an abortion, keeping schtum about the identity of the father... though it didn't take long for her meddling mother to work it out...

Walford doesn't really do fairy tales, but 'Chelle was rescued by a knight in shining armour of a kind – Lofty Holloway. A chivalrous soul, he wanted to take care of 'Chelle and baby Vicki. She jilted Lofty at the altar, then changed her mind and married him on the quiet. But she soon realised that there was more to life than playing happy families with an unemployable asthmatic whose idea of fun was splashing out on a family railcard. Pregnant Michelle aborted Lofty's baby, with the sponsorship of one Den Watts, and left him for good.

Den's untimely (first) death hit poor Michelle badly and her secrets began to seep out. Sharon soon discovered that Vicki was, in fact, her sister and that her best friend had been sleeping with her dad! Strangely, Michelle thought that this would provide comfort to grieving Sharon. Hmm... think again 'Chelle.

After a one-night-stand with Grant, Michelle left Albert Square in 1995 for a new life in America, bearing his love child. She now lives in Florida with second husband, daughter Vicki and son Mark Jnr.

She had a relationship with her lecturer when she went to university.

Since she emigrated in October 1995, Michelle has never returned to Walford, not even for her dad's funeral in 1996 or her mum's funeral in 2007. She still keeps in touch with Ian and Sharon.

She appeared between 1985 and 1995.