EastEnders fans might have spotted a familiar face in Amazon Prime Video’s Citadel. James Alexandrou appeared in the BBC soap as Martin Fowler from 1996 until departing Walford in 2007.

Since then, the actor has had several roles in high-profile shows, including in the latest episode of Citadel alongside Stanley Tucci.

Now in its second season, Alexandrou appeared in the third episode as a lead officer in a particularly intense and explosive scene.

Taking to Reddit to discuss his appearance, one user branded him “the best Martin” who appeared in EastEnders.

In the soap, Alexandrou was replaced by James Bye, who dramatically exited the show during the live 40th anniversary episode in which Martin died in the Queen Vic explosion.

At the time, Alexandrou reacted to his death, joking on his Instagram story: “Somehow reckon I’ll still be asked ‘When are you going back to EastEnders?'”

Since leaving the soap, the actor has landed roles in Silent Witness, Call The Midwife, and The Hack.

Fans have long wondered, though, whether he would ever consider a return to EastEnders, a hope he dashed while speaking to The Nottingham Post, comparing it to “going back to school”.

“They were talking for a while about me going back,” he continued. “They made it very clear that they were bringing the character back, and they would really like me to go back, but it just wasn’t right for me at the time.”

That’s not to say he doesn’t have fond memories of Albert Square, saying: “It’s the place where I spent 10 years of my formative years.

“The attraction in it would be to see some of my old mates and have a bit of nostalgia, and that wasn’t enough at the time to do it.”