Almost eight years after Arthur ‘Fatboy’ Chubb's death in 2015, EastEnders fans at home have been hoping for the iconic character to make a return to Albert Square in some capacity – especially as the soap is well known for bringing characters such as Cindy Beale and Dirty Den back from the dead.
And it appears fans have gotten their wish this week, as actor Ricky Norwood returned to the show to take part in a special flashback episode, allowing fans to reconnect once more with the memorable character.
Loved both on and off screen, fans were captivated by Fatboy during his time on the show, with the character involved in numerous iconic storylines, including a fling with Denise Fox!
So what actually happened to Fatboy and how did he die?
Fatboy first arrived on our screens in January 2010, when he was invited to a party hosted by Lucy Beale, the late daughter of Cindy and Ian Beale.
Quickly establishing himself as the life and soul of the party, fans instantly connected with the character and were delighted when he became a firm fixture of the soap and began to interact with more and more of the show’s regular cast.
During his time on the show, Fatboy fell for Mercy Olubunmi (Bunmi Mojekwu) and even agreed to marry her to help her stay in the country. In addition, he also developed feelings for his close pal Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) despite her dating Tyler Moon (Tony Discipline) at the time!
Despite falling head over heels for Whitney, sadly the feeling wasn’t mutual and she failed to reciprocate his attempts at winning her over.
Heartbroken, Fatboy later went on to find love elsewhere, including a now infamous fling with older woman Denise Fox (Diane Parish) before embarking on a relationship with Poppy Meadow (Rachel Bright).
Although Fatboy’s love life was nothing short of chaotic, the well meaning character was able to seek stability and comfort from Dot Cotton, as she took on a maternal role in his life following the death of her own son Nick (John Altman.)
A far cry from Nick’s dodgy dealing ways, Fatboy was widely considered to be the son Dot had always deserved by fans.
For five years, Fatboy was a firm staple of the show, but the character’s life soon took a turn in 2015 when he became involved in a deadly feud among the gangsters of Albert Square.
After troubled beginnings, Fatboy bonded with Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood) who convinced him to drop his pseudonym and use his real name 'Arthur' again.
Giving him a job in The Albert as a DJ, things soon got off to a flying start, but it wasn’t long before their friendship soured, leaving Fatboy caught up in the middle of a vendetta between his boss and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden.)
Begging with Vincent to end the feud, Fatboy was soon met with violence, as he was ordered to leave Walford otherwise Dot Cotton would be attacked.
Fearing for her safety, Fatboy agreed to flee, and shared a final meal with Dot before planning an escape.
Sadly however, he never made it out of Walford alive, as he was murdered by Ronnie Mitchell’s (Samantha Womack) hitmen on Christmas Day 2015, after she had originally been trying to kill Vincent.
After learning of Fatboy’s death, Vincent sent letters to Dot pretending to be him so as not to worry her and allowing her to falsely believe that he was living happily abroad.
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