WHY THE NEW MICHELLE DIDN’T PAY OFF

Inside Soap wades in on the debate…

Michelle Fowler is poised to say goodbye to Albert Square, as actress Jenna Russell heads off to pastures new. So why didn’t this classic character comeback work?

It certainly wasn’t the fault of Jenna, a superb actress who did her best to breathe new life into one of Eastenders’ most iconic characters. It’s not really due to the decision to recast Michelle, after original star Susan Tully refused repeated offers to return to the role that made her famous. No, instead the problem was the stories.

We’ve always loved Michelle’s relationship with Sharon, and the old magic was still there. On paper, the Preston affair story must have looked like a clever subversion of the underage sex plot between Michelle and Dirty Den – but it changed how the audience felt about her. It was too hard to root for Michelle now that she was a predator, and subsequent nights with her and Sharon cackling over a bottle of vino were spoilt.

The best potential plot – the 25-year-old secret of Mark Fowler Jnr’s paternity – had been wasted the year before for Grant’s return, with Michelle not featuring at all. That felt bungled after years of build-up. We never saw Michelle with Mark, nor did we meet her husband. Meanwhile, the plot with Tom the stalker dragged on forever before fizzling out in five minutes.

So Jenna was great, but the Michelle we knew and loved wasn’t there. Perhaps resting her for a while is the answer, before bringing her back with the cracking story this character

deserves.