Stephen Aaron-Sipple made his debut on EastEnders on New Year's Day as a mysterious man who seduced Lauren Branning, portrayed by Jacqueline Jossa. This character later turned out to be the new Mark Fowler Jnr, succeeding Ned Porteous. He arrived at Phil Mitchell's door, beaten by a drugs gang.
However, a TikTok video from the weekend revealed that Stephen had actually appeared on the soap earlier, in 2020, as a delivery driver dropping off a car for Sonia Fowler, played by Natalie Cassidy. In the scene, he says, 'Keys are in the dash and there's a note,' before leaving, prompting Whitney Dean to tease Sonia about a potential romance.
Fans were shocked by the revelation. One commented, 'One thing about EastEnders, they're going to recycle an actor!' Another added, 'I didn't even know he had been on it before!'
Stephen Aaron-Sipple's Journey Before EastEnders
Stephen previously shared on Instagram that he worked as a firefighter before landing the role of Mark Fowler Jnr. He posted a carousel of images from his time in the emergency services, writing, '10 years ago I was a struggling actor... my daughter was born, and my family needed stability.' He added, 'I was very lucky to fulfil another childhood dream and became a London Firefighter... a job that taught me so much about myself, about life, about loss, about gratitude.'
He expressed gratitude to his colleagues: 'F32 Stoke Newington Red Watch. I love you brothers and sisters, I hope I always make you proud. FF Sipple fall out.'
Health Transformation
Stephen also documented his body transformation after being diagnosed with diabetes at age 29. He told Men's Health in 2019, 'I've always been a bit of a yoyo with my weight. When my daughter was born, I piled on weight quickly because I stopped exercising.' He admitted, 'I chose the lazy option every time... I had abused my body so much that a part of it stopped working properly. An early death was the lightbulb moment I needed to take back control of my health.'
He emphasized simple advice: 'Eat a little less and exercise a little more.'
