Martin Fowler (James Bye) puts his life on the line in EastEnders later this month, after he and Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) receive some devastating news about son Roman.

The youngster has been in hospital with liver problems for weeks now, and while it was initially thought he may need a transplant, his response to treatment gave the former couple hope that he wouldn’t need the operation.

However, his condition will soon become more serious with a search launched to find a donor.

In scenes to air from Monday 16 December, Ruby and Martin are dealt a huge blow when doctors confirm the donor liver they’d found is not a match for Roman.

They then reveal that Martin is a match and could be his son’s best hope. To Ruby’s shock and relief, Martin immediately agrees to donate his liver. 

But back at the Slaters’, Lily (Lillia Turner) gets upset when she hears that Martin will undergo surgery, fearing what will happen to her and his other kids if something goes wrong. 

Martin has a heart-to-heart with his ex-wife Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and opens up about his fears over the procedure. 

As the former couple share an emotional moment, he goes in to kiss her – will Stacey respond?

While fans will undoubtedly be excited about the prospect of a Stacey and Martin reunion, Louisa Lytton – who plays Ruby – recently revealed her hopes to see Martin get back together with her character.

She told Metro: ‘When James and I first started the Ruby and Martin relationship, we had all of two days on set and then we went into lockdown. So when we came back to continue the storyline, everything was behind a screen and we weren’t allowed to touch.

‘We felt as actors we didn’t get the shot we wanted to give them the relationship and chemistry on screen. I’m hoping for that reason we get to see if they can rekindle something. I think Ruby loves the idea of him as a family man.’

EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 16 December at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.