EastEnders star Michelle Ryan has paid an emotional tribute to her on-screen father Derek Martin after he passed away aged 92 on Saturday night.
The soap favourite, 41, who plays Zoe Slater in the BBC show, remembered the beloved actor, who starred as doting father and taxi driver Charlie Slater.
Michelle paid her condolences to the late star in a newly-shared Instagram post, which she accompanied with a selfie.Â
‘So sad to hear the news that Derek Martin has passed away,’ she wrote.
‘He was a such a friendly man, always ready with a story and practical advice, for example how weak tea is good for shock. RIP Derek. Condolences to his friends and family.’
Michelle was a fixture on EastEnders from 2000 to 2005 but returned with a surprise appearance in June 2025, reprising her iconic role after 20 years.
EastEnders star Michelle Ryan, 41, has paid an emotional tribute to her on-screen father Derek Martin after he passed away aged 92 on Saturday night
The soap favourite, who played Zoe Slater in the BBC show, remembered the beloved actor, who starred as doting father and taxi driver Charlie Slater (Derek pictured)
Derek is survived by his two sons, David and Jonathan, who on Sunday said: ‘Derek wasn’t just a dad to us he was a friend and supported us through our highs and lows.Â
‘He never stopped learning, he loved meeting people and was always generous with his time. We both miss him terribly.’
Martin starred in various roles over more than five decades, but he was best known for playing the beloved Charlie Slater on EastEnders for 15 years.
His character was a taxi driver who first arrived in Walford in 2000 with his mother-in-law Mo Harris and his four daughters Lynne, Kat, Little Mo and Zoe.Â
The mild-mannered cabbie was loved for his role as the devoted, protective patriarch of the predominantly female Slater family.
Martin, who was born in Bow, east London, in April 1933 left the soap when his character suffered a fatal heart attack in 2016.
EastEnders said on Sunday it was ‘deeply saddened’ by the star’s death, adding: ‘Charlie would do anything for his family, and much like his character, Derek would do the same for those around him.’Â
Martin previously revealed how he launched his acting career after leaving his job at Smithfield Meat Market in 1962. He also did National Service in the Royal Air Force and worked a host of jobs including digging roads, working in factories, motor racing and professional gambling.
But he later ended up doing the job he dreamed of, revealing: ‘I had always been a big film fan for as long as I can remember. Where I grew up, in the East End, there were dozens of cinemas and some of my earliest memories are of going off to the cinema. When I was a young man I would go at least 3 times a week.’
Michelle was a fixture on EastEnders from 2000 to 2005 but eventually returned with a surprise appearance in June 2025, reprising her iconic role after 20 years (pictured)
Charlie Slater was loved for his role as the devoted, protective patriarch of the predominantly female Slater family. Pictured L-R: Gary (Ricky Groves), Lynne (Elaine Lordan), Charlie (Derek Martin), Zoe (Michelle Ryan), Maureen (Kacey Ainsworth) and Kat (Jessie Wallace)
Charlie arrived in Walford with his four daughters, Kat (pictured), Lynne, Little Mo and Zoe as well as his mother-in-law Big Mo Harris
The late actor said he found himself an agent by going to a café in Soho where he knew actors frequented.Â
Martin began his acting career as a stuntman, appearing in several episodes of Doctor Who. But after breaking his collar bone while filming the drama Elizabeth R in 1971, he moved into acting.
Over the following decades, Martin became a familiar face on TV, appearing in shows such as Z-Cars, Softly Softly, The Sweeney, Minder, Bergerac, The Bill and even Little Britain – as himself.
Away from the screen, Martin had a passion for golf and football and he was a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats – an entertainment charity and fraternity which was founded in 1889.Â
