Ruth Fowler
| Ruth Fowler | |||||||||||||
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| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Caroline Paterson | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 1994–1999 | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 1006 28 July 1994 |
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| Last appearance | Episode 1736 11 February 1999 |
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| Introduced by | Barbara Emile | ||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||
| Occupation | Nursery assistant | ||||||||||||
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| Family | Beale |
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| Father | Hugh Aitken |
| Mother | Maureen Aitken |
| Brothers | John Aitken |
| Husband | Mark Fowler (1995–1999) |
| Adoptive daughters | Jessie Moore (foster) |
Ruth Fowler (also Aitken) is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Caroline Paterson from 1994 to 1999. Ruth is Mark Fowler (Todd Carty)'s second wife and she is far more comfortable with his HIV status than many of his other girlfriends. However, their marriage eventually disintegrates due to Mark's habit of shutting her out and his inability to give Ruth a child. They split and she strays with Mark's cousin, Conor Flaherty (Seán Gleeson). Her betrayal deeply hurts Mark but it also gives her the chance to be a mother as she becomes pregnant with Conor's child.
Ruth, who is from Edinburgh, Scotland, comes from a strict Presbyterian family headed by a minister father. She comes to London with her friend Anna, because she does not want to comply with her father's ideals. Anna contracts HIV, and Ruth is first seen in July 1994, visiting her at a hospice. There, she meets Mark Fowler (Todd Carty), who has HIV. She and Mark bond, and he comforts her when Anna dies. They start a relationship and she becomes a childminder. In 1995, they get engaged, and Ruth's father insists that they marry in Scotland but her family are not welcoming when they discover Mark's HIV status. They respond with trepidation and ignorance, refusing to distinguish between AIDS and HIV, despite Mark's best efforts to explain. Believing he is contagious, they do not let him stay in their home, suggesting that he represents everything they have spent their lives battling. Ultimately, Ruth and Mark marry without her parents' blessing.
They soon start to argue because Ruth although she tells Mark she is happy about not having children, this is not true. They visit a counsellor who tells them their options, and they decide to be foster parents. They are given their first foster child, 6-year-old Jessie Moore (Chelsey Paden), whose mother is in prison on remand. Jessie refuses to speak and wets the bed. Mark and Ruth try to get her to engage with them and they eventually make progress. Ruth returns to Scotland to visit her father, who has had a stroke. While she is away, Jessie receives a letter from her mother, saying she will be released from prison. When Ruth returns after her father's death, she is furious that Jessie has visited her mother in prison and will probably be returning to her mother soon. Ruth and Mark argue and Ruth grows closer to Mark's cousin, Conor Flaherty (Seán Gleeson), who is staying with them. Jessie's mother, Nicole, visits and tells them she is taking steps to get Jessie back. When Mark and Ruth try contesting Nicole's decision, they are told that fostering is about reuniting children with their parents. Both become depressed and Mark's jealousy over Ruth's relationship with Conor makes things worse. When Jessie returns to Nicole, Mark and Ruth's relationship declines swiftly. Amidst constant arguing and jealousy, Mark moves out. Ruth gets drunk and tries to seduce Conor but he turns her down, admitting to finding her attractive but he says he cannot have sex with someone whose previous partner is HIV positive and berates her for being irresponsible. Ruth is deeply offended, and when Mark finds out what has happened, he declares that their marriage is over.
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