EastEnders has finally revealed the identity of the mystery gang boss who has been troubling Mark Fowler, with the casting of Anthony Skordi in the role of Russell Delaney. The actor, known for his work in Law & Order: Organised Crime, Scorpion, and video games like Star Wars Battlefront II, will make his debut in Walford next week.
Russell Delaney is a crime boss who has been pressuring Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) to carry out dangerous tasks, including killing a police informant within his drugs gang. The informant was later revealed to be Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara). Mark and Ravi had a confrontation in the woods, which was interrupted by Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) and the Mitchells. Now, Russell demands £100,000 from Mark and has him kidnapped to show he means business.
Mark's disappearance comes at a particularly bad time, as the Mitchell family is preparing for the funeral of Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley). On the morning of the funeral, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) receives a call from Russell demanding payment. Things escalate when Russell overhears Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) on the call, revealing they have a history. When Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) learns of the situation, he insists on not letting it disrupt Nigel's funeral and persuades Grant and Sam to postpone finding Mark until after the service.
Despite their agreement, Phil, Grant, Sam, and Billy decide to search for Mark immediately. With unresolved issues between Russell and Sam, a tense standoff ensues. Kim Medcalf, who plays Sam, explains: 'Everything escalates very quickly. Although the plan is initially to try and save Mark after the funeral, they realise they can't leave him there and agree that Nigel would have wanted them to act. It balances huge emotion with flashes of humour and nostalgia – there's some classic Mitchell moments. Between the attempted rescue mission and Nigel's funeral, they're reminded who they are as a family.'
When the Mitchells return to Walford, they join Nigel's loved ones at the church for an emotional tribute. Medcalf adds: 'It was incredibly emotional. Seeing the packed church really felt like the whole community had come together to honour Nigel. Everyone adores Paul too, which made it even more moving.'
