Justin Fitzgerald exploded onto the scene when his mother Olga had a nervous breakdown and dumped him and his younger brother Leo on father Vaughan at Waterloo Road School. He serves as the protagonist of the final episode of the show.
Series 10
Justin first appears in Series 10 Episode 1 along with his younger brother Leo Fitzgerald. Justin and Leo are left at Waterloo Road under the care of their father new headteacher, Vaughan Fitzgerald after their Mother Olga Fitzgerald suffers a breakdown. At first Justin didn't want to start school at Waterloo Road, but reluctantly agrees to after learning that Leo will be staying. Justin was unhappy with being forced to move in with Vaughan and his girlfriend Allie, due to the fact that Vaughan left their mother for Allie, contributing towards her breakdown. When Allie's children Floyd and Tiffany try to introduce themselves to Justin and Leo as friends, Justin punches Floyd and they end up fighting in the middle of the school. The fight was broken up by Deputy Head Simon Lowsley, who took them straight to Vaughan's office. When they all return home, Justin in anger slams the bedroom door in Allie's face causing her an injury. At this point Allie covers for Justin saying that she accidentally walked into something.
In Series 10 Episode 2, Allie tries to make friends with Justin, but he still acts coldly towards her. The tension between Justin and Floyd also continues to grow as Justin shows him up in their history class. Allie asks Simon Lowsley to be a mediator for the boys, however this fails. During class, George Windsor insults Justin and Vaughan saying, "like father, like son." Justin retaliates by throwing a tin at him. Despite George complaining, Vaughan defends Justin insisting that he would never behave in such a violent manner. After George resigns, Vaughan admits that he made a mistake by letting Justin cloud his judgement. Allie later suggests that they convert the garage into a room for Justin seeing as he doesn't want to live with them.
In Series 10 Episode 3 during the virtual baby project, Justin overhears Allie talking to Shaznay Montrose about how you can never dump your children. Justin kicks the plastic baby against the wall telling Allie that's what their Dad did to them because of her. Fed up Allie tells Vaughan about the incident with the door and Justin's out of control anger. Vaughan sends Justin to the cooler telling him that he ever hit anyone again he'd wish he'd never been born. Vaughan later makes Justin apologise to Allie. Back at home Justin comes across Tiffany's diary, where she admits to having a crush on him.
In Series 10 Episode 4 Tiffany and Justing get together at Gabriella Wark's party.
In Series 10 Episode 5 Justin and Tiffany have started a secret relationship behind their parents and siblings backs. Justin discovers through Floyd that Vaughan has been paying for his mothers treatment at the clinic. Justin takes this as a sign that Vaughan is still in love with her. Vaughan shuts him down saying that their marriage is definitely over leaving Justin devastated. With persuasion from Tiffany, Justin makes amends with Floyd. The two of them help out at the community cafe in order to spend more time together.
In Series 10 Episode 6 Justin helps out Havelock High pupil, Mickey McArthur who was caught stealing. Mickey responds by stealing Justin's wallet. Justin goes to Havelock High where Mickey is forced to hand over the wallet by the head. Mickey later turns up at Waterloo Road and attacks Justin, the two fight. Despite Mickey jumping Justin, with Justin's past actions in mind Vaughan decides to let him off. Justin follows Mickey home only to discover that he is living in extreme poverty with his mother and young sister. Justin starts a food bank in the school in order to help Mickey and others in need.
In Series 10 Episode 7 after discovering their affair Floyd warns Justin to stay away from Tiffany. When he refuses Floyd punches him. Tiffany, unable to stand the conflict between them tells Allie that her and Justin have been sleeping together. Allie tells Justin to break it off but he refuses telling her that it's, 'just begun.' Vaughan and Allie try to keep them apart but they know it won't be possible. Allie suggests that Vaughan sends Justin to boarding school.
In Series 10 Episode 8 Vaughan and Allie are in agreement to send Justin to boarding school. Furious Justin plans to run away along with Tiffany. Tiffany, however, is reluctant, and secretly sends Allie frantic text messages as where to find her. In the aftermath, Vaughan tells Allie that he can't bear to send Justin away. This creates tension between the two of them.
In Series 10 Episode 9 Justin discovers that Tiffany has been sent to stay with a relative until the situation calms down.
In Series 10 Episode 10 things reach breaking point for Justin and the entire family. After accusing Allie of running things for him and Tiffany, Allie shows him the frantic messages she sent. Upset and angry Justin punches Allie in the face. Vaughan, at breaking point takes Justin to the police station and explains that he had assaulted a teacher and that she wished to press charges. Justin is eventually released where he makes his way back to the school. In the corridor he bumps into Tiffany who had returned having discovered what had happened to Allie, through Floyd and she coldly dumps him. Her partings words being that she, 'doesn't love him anymore.' After this breakup Justin is devastated and threatens to blow up the school using a lighter and a gas canister. Vaughn manages to talk Justin out of it however, this event causes Allie and Vaughan to split up on mutual grounds after they realise that they have to put their children first and keep them apart.
In the second half of Series 10, Justin has a quieter year and appears to have sorted his anger issues out after counselling. He has two brief relationships over the course of the ten episodes. One with reformed student, Bonnie Kincaid and the other with the fiery Kenzie Calhoun. These relationships do not lead anywhere due to love triangles with Scott Fairchild. Later in the series, Justin agrees to investigate Bonnie's cyberbully, however his investigations end up framing him, making him look like the cyberbully when in fact it is his brother Leo Fitzgerald. When Justin realises the real bully is his brother, he decides to still maintain to his parents that it was him who sent all the texts to Bonnie, in order to protect Leo from getting excluded from school. The truth does come out eventually and we see Justin reconciled with his peers and teachers.
Personality
At first, Justin is confirmably unstable and cynical. He acts maliciously towards his father for abandoning him, and violently against Floyd for replacing Justin and Leo in their father's life. But he begins to soften once he discovers that Tiffany has a crush on him. It becomes clear later in the series that Justin, for all his faults, is not all that bad. This is shown in particular when Justin takes the blame for his brother who has been cyber-bullying Bonnie, even though it will result in his exclusion.
Quotes
"You didn't tell him we were coming?" (first line)
"Nothing and no-one is gonna stop us from seeing each other."
"I honestly thought you were gonna stand up to her, dad!"
"You talk to me about running away but that's what YOU did! You left us!"
"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ROOM?!"
Trivia
Max Bowden, who played Justin is now currently playing the role of Ben Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He made his first appearance in April 2019 and is set to bow out of the role later this year.