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Stacey Slater (also Branning and Fowler) is a fictional character from the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'', portrayed by

Lacey Turner Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2004–2010, 2014–present), for which she has won over thirty awards, including four ...

. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager and extension to the already established

Slater family The Slater family is an American philanthropic, political, and manufacturing family from England, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut whose members include the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution," Samuel Slater, a prominent ...

. She was created by scriptwriter

Tony Jordan Tony Jordan (born 21 July 1957) is a British television writer. He was listed as the number one television screenwriter in the United Kingdom by ''Broadcast'' magazine in 2008 and among British broadcasting's top twenty in ''The Stage'' in 200 ...

with Turner in mind. Producers explored the character's backstory with the introduction of her mother,

Jean Slater Jean Slater (also Walters) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Gillian Wright. Her first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2004. Having only been introduce ...

(

Gillian Wright Gillian Wright (born 5 May 1960) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2004, for which she has won a number of awards. She was a teacher and theatre director before ...

), who has

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

. They then paired Stacey with

Bradley Branning Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010 after he was killed off in the show's 2 ...

(

Charlie Clements Charlie Clements (born 5 June 1987) is an English actor known for the role of Bradley Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from January 2006 to February 2010. He has won several soap and magazine awards for his performance. Biography ...

) and writers developed a series of problems for their marriage, including an

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

and Stacey's affair with Bradley's father,

Max Branning Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006. Wood took a four-month break from the show in 2011 and the character was absent between August and No ...

(

Jake Wood Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is an English actor and podcaster, known for his role as Max Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has also made guest appearances in series including ''Only Fools and Horses'' and ''Red Dwarf''. ...

). In 2009, the character was placed in an issue-led storyline when she is diagnosed with bipolar disorder; the show worked with various charities to develop the story. Writers also incorporated Stacey in the "

Who Killed Archie? "Who Killed Archie?" is a storyline from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It began on 25 December 2009, Christmas Day, when the character Archie Mitchell, played by Larry Lamb, was murdered by an unseen person. Events leading up to and following ...

" plot and revealed her as his killer in a live episode, which was followed by a two-hander episode between Turner and Wood. The story also linked to Stacey becoming pregnant and concluded with Turner's departure from the soap in episode 4129–4130, originally broadcast on 25 December 2010. Three years later, Turner’s anticipated return was announced and Stacey appears in the episode originally broadcast on 7 February 2014 before departing again on 24 March 2014. She made a permanent return from 1 September 2014. Stacey was involved in another issue-led story exploring

postpartum psychosis Postpartum psychosis, also known as puerperal psychosis, involves the abrupt onset of severe mental illness shortly following childbirth. While symptoms of postpartum psychosis have long been observed in mothers, the phenomenon eventually came t ...

in 2016, following the birth of her son Arthur. Turner went on

maternity leave Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, Paternity (law), paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" and ...

in August 2019 and prior to her exit, Stacey became involved in a custody battle with

Kush Kazemi The following are characters who first appeared, or returned, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2014 listed by order of first appearance. All new characters in 2014 were introduced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, executive producer. ...

(

Davood Ghadami Davood Ghadami ( fa, داوود قدمی; born 7 August 1982) is an English actor. Following his appearances in ''Taggart'' in 2010, he appeared in the BBC medical programmes '' Doctors'' and ''Casualty'' in recurring roles. In 2014, he began p ...

) and a feud with her cousin

Kat Slater Kathleen "Kat" Slater (also Moon) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She is also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the sec ...

(

Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2000. Her role as Kat won her the Nationa ...

). After attacking

Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother Grant Mitchell (EastEnders), Grant (Ross Kemp), s ...

(

Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has played since 1990. He was also the presenter of the game show, ''Britain's ...

), Stacey flees the square and is off-screen for thirteen months, returning in September 2020. Turner took a second maternity leave in April 2021 and Stacey departs after being falsely imprisoned. She makes two brief returns on 16 September and 20 September 2021, before returning permanently on 25 October. The character has proven popular with fans and critics alike, and Turner has won over thirty awards for her portrayal, the most for any actor or soap in the UK. Her accolades include four

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted ...

, six

British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies give ...

and eight ''Inside Soap'' Awards.

Storylines

2004–2010

Prior to her arrival, Stacey had a troubled childhood, due to her mother

Jean Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...

(

) suffering from

, and the death of her father, Brian, when she was 11. Stacey struggled to cope with her mother's suicidal and erratic behaviour, resulting from her illness. For a long time, she was Jean's sole carer as her older brother,

Sean Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...

(

Robert Kazinsky Robert John Appleby (born 18 November 1983), known professionally as Robert Kazinsky, is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Casper Rose in the Sky One drama ''Dream Team'', the Don in '' Captain Marvel'', Sean Slater in the BBC soa ...

), had disappeared, unable to cope with Jean's condition. Stacey, age 15, follows her family to

Walford Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...

in November 2004, to live with her great-uncle

Charlie Slater Charlie Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Derek Martin. Charlie's first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000. He is played by Jason McGregor in fla ...

(

Derek Martin Derek Martin (born Derek William Rapp; 11 April 1933) is an English former actor. Beginning his career as a stuntman, he moved into acting and played many roles on UK television. One of his most widely known roles is Charlie Slater on the BBC ...

) and adoptive grandmother

Mo Harris Mo Harris (also known as "Big Mo") is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', who made her first appearance on 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo is also played by Lorraine Stanley in the 2004 soap "bubble" ''Pat ...

(

Laila Morse Maureen Oldman (born 1 August 1945), known professionally as Laila Morse, is an English actress. Her roles include Janet in the drama film '' Nil by Mouth'' (1997) and Mo Harris in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Early life Laila Morse wa ...

), after being thrown out by her mother, Jean. She causes trouble through her promiscuous and immoral behaviour, which involves seducing her cousin

Lynne Hobbs Lynne Slater (previously Hobbs) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Elaine Lordan. The character appears between 18 September 2000 and 2 July 2004. Lynne is a fierce judge of right and wrong, although she ...

' (

Elaine Lordan Elaine Bernadette Lordan (born 15 December 1966) is a British former actress, best known for her role as 'Sugar Walls' in the comedy series ''Gimme Gimme Gimme'' and playing Lynne Hobbs in ''EastEnders'' from 2000–2004. Following several tra ...

) husband

Garry Hobbs Garry Hobbs is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Ricky Groves. He made his first appearance on 18 September 2000. It was announced on 26 March 2009 that Groves and co-star Kara Tointon, who plays Dawn Swann ...

(

Ricky Groves Richard Groves (born 23 April 1968) is an English actor best known for playing Garry Hobbs in ''EastEnders'' from 2000–09. Before his role in ''EastEnders'' he appeared in the series '' Burnside'', a spin-off from ''The Bill''. He trained a ...

). Charlie, fed up with her behaviour, sends her back home to Jean. However, she later returns to the Slaters, eventually growing close to them. Stacey’s paternal grandmother Violet Slater died in 1988 before Stacey was born, so Mo made the decision to adopt Stacey as one of her own granddaughters. In early 2005, Stacey befriends

Ruby Allen A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sap ...

(

Louisa Lytton Louisa Claire Lytton (born 7 February 1989) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Ruby Allen in '' EastEnders'' and Beth Green in ''The Bill''. She also finished fourth in the fourth series of '' Strictly Come Dancing'' in 20 ...

), the daughter of gangster Johnny Allen ( Billy Murray), and they later become best friends, despite falling out a few times and disapproval from Johnny. Stacey also becomes heavily involved in the murder of

Den Watts Dennis "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den". Den was the original landlord of The Queen Victoria public house ...

(

Leslie Grantham Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor, best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West Germ ...

) when she gives her cousin

Zoe Slater Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on 18 September 2000. Zoe arrives in Walford along with her father, Charlie (Derek Martin), sisters Kat (Jessi ...

(

Michelle Ryan Michelle Claire Ryan (born 22 April 1984) is an English actress. She played Zoe Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2000–2005). In 2007, she starred in the short-lived American television series ''Bionic Woman''. She appeared as th ...

) a false alibi for his murder, landing an innocent Sam Mitchell (

Kim Medcalf Kim Louise Medcalf (born 8 December 1973) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for taking over the role of Sam Mitchell in the long-running BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', between 2002 and 2005 and from 2022 onwards. Career '' ...

) in prison. Sam's family and Den's adopted daughter

Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Juli ...

(

Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again ...

) pressure her into telling the truth, and eventually Den's wife

Chrissie Watts Chrissie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Tracy-Ann Oberman. She first appeared on 29 April 2004 and transpired to be the second wife of the show's "most enduring character", Den Watts ( Lesli ...

(

Tracy-Ann Oberman Tracy-Ann Oberman (born Tracy Anne Oberman; 25 August 1966) is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is widely known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2004–2005) and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie V ...

) is arrested for the murder. In 2006, Stacey becomes involved in her cousin

Little Mo Slater Maureen "Little Mo" Slater (previously Morgan and Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Kacey Ainsworth from 18 September 2000 to 26 May 2006. Little Mo originally appeared with a turbulent marriag ...

’s (

Kacey Ainsworth Kacey Ainsworth (born 19 October 1968) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Little Mo in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Cathy Keating in ITV drama ''Grantchester''. Early life Ainsworth trained at the Royal Ce ...

) love life when she spots a romantic connection between Little Mo’s boyfriend Oliver Cousins ( Tom Ellis) and resident

Dawn Swann Dawn Swann is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Kara Tointon, who first appeared on 26 September 2005. It was reported on 26 March 2009 that Tointon and co-star Ricky Groves, who plays Garry Hobbs, would ...

(

Kara Tointon Kara Louise Tointon (born 5 August 1983) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Dawn Swann in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 2010, she won the BBC competition series ''Strictly Come Dancing'', and in 2015, she appeared as ...

). She informs Little Mo of this, resulting in Little Mo and Oliver splitting up. Despite being initially unimpressed by Walford newcomer

(

), she eventually grows to like him and they start dating. Bradley becomes Stacey's first true love. Stacey is stunned when Sean appears back in her life after seven years, but is happy to have her brother back. Stacey's relationship with Bradley hits a rough patch when Stacey discovers she has been impregnated by Bradley and he urges her to have an abortion. Stacey reluctantly has the abortion and their romance sours. Bradley calls time on his relationship with Stacey when she embarrasses him at a work party. To get back at Bradley, Stacey seduces his father

(

). Subsequently, they begin an affair. Although they agreed that it would only be about sex, Stacey falls in love with Max, but Max rejects her. Eventually, Max also falls for Stacey and agrees to leave his wife,

Tanya Branning Tanya Cross (also Branning and Jessop) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. Joyner left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave ...

(

Jo Joyner Joanne Mary Joyner (born 24 May 1977) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Mandy Carter in Channel 4 drama ''Ackley Bridge''. Since 2018, she has starred as Luella Shakesp ...

). However, Max has this on a halt as he learns that Tanya is pregnant. While Max and his family are out of town, Stacey reunites with Bradley and accepts his marriage proposal. When Max returns, he declares his love for Stacey and wants to run away with her. Stacey tells Max they are over for good and she is marrying Bradley. Stacey feels overwhelmed on her wedding day and almost does not go through with the ceremony, but Bradley convinces her to marry him. Max propositions Stacey after the wedding ceremony and their kiss is recorded on Max's eldest daughter

Lauren Lauren may be a given name or surname.The name's meaning may be "laurel tree", "sweet of honor", or "wisdom". It is derived from the French name Laurence, a feminine version of Laurent, which is in turn derived from the Roman surname Laurentius. ...

's (

Madeline Duggan Madeline Elizabeth Duggan (born 28 June 1994) is a British actress, known for her portrayal of Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2006 to 2010. Career In 2003, Duggan portrayed the role of Little Cosette in a production ...

) hidden video camera. Lauren gives a DVD of the recording to Bradley as a Christmas present, revealing the fling to the entire family. Tanya and Bradley are devastated over their spouses' betrayal and both marriages end. Some time later, Bradley decides to give his marriage to Stacey another chance, suggesting that they start a family. Stacey is uncertain and secretly continues taking birth control pills. She has a one-night-stand with

Callum Monks The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' which aired in 2008 (by order of first appearance). All characters were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer. Santer introduced four ...

(

Elliott Jordan Elliott Jordan (born 22 April 1983) is an English actor best known for playing Callum Monks in the BBC drama '' EastEnders'' and Jack in the ITV comedy drama '' Benidorm''. Career Jordan started acting at The Sylvia Young Theatre School then ...

). She immediately regrets cheating on Bradley. Stacey attempts to reignite the spark in her marriage, but eventually decides her and Bradley are over. She has a brief relationship with Callum, but they split up over his harsh treatment of her mother. Following the death of her friend Danielle Jones (

Lauren Crace Lauren Rose Crace (born 25 May 1986) is an English actress and radio presenter, known for her portrayal of Danielle Jones in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2008 to 2009. Early life The daughter of contemporary writer Jim Crace and Pa ...

), Stacey begins behaving erratically. She steals money from her family, sleeps with various men on the go and becomes a heavy drinker. She is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but is non-compliant with her medication and becomes paranoid, experiencing hallucinations. Around this time, Stacey has a one-night-stand with

Ryan Malloy Ryan Malloy is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Neil McDermott. From his arrival on 28 April 2009, the character remained a mystery in the show for a number of months, until he was revealed as the half-brot ...

(

Neil McDermott Neil McDermott (born 15 December 1980) is a British stage and television actor, who is best known for portraying Ryan Malloy in the BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career McDermott appeared in the 2008 ''Doctor Who'' episode "The Nex ...

). Stacey’s illness convinces her that

Archie Mitchell Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Larry Lamb. He first appeared on 8 July 2008 as a newest member of the Mitchell family—who had first appeared on the soap in 1990— ...

(

Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series '' Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series ...

) is planning to kill her and after attacking Archie with a broken glass, Stacey is involuntarily committed. Stacey returns home with Becca Swanson (Simone James), a girl she befriended at the mental hospital. Upon her release, Bradley confesses his feelings for Stacey and they reconcile. Then Stacey discovers she is three months pregnant, which means Bradley cannot be the father. On Christmas Day, Stacey tells Bradley that Archie raped her and he must be the father. Archie is murdered that night by an unknown assailant. Stacey and Bradley agree to pretend the baby is theirs, and remarry on 18 February 2010. A jealous Becca reveals the rape to Archie's eldest daughter

Ronnie Mitchell Veronica "Ronnie" Branning (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Samantha Womack. She and her younger sister Roxy Mitchell (played by Rita Simons) were introduced by executive producer Died ...

(

Samantha Womack Samantha Zoe Womack ('' née'' Janus; born 2 November 1972) is an English actress, singer, model and director who has worked in film, television and stage. Womack initially planned a career in singing and she represented the United Kingdom i ...

), who tells Stacey that Archie cannot be the father as he was made infertile following cancer treatment. Becca informs the police that Bradley had a motive to kill Archie. He and Stacey attempt to flee Walford, but Bradley is caught by the police and falls to his death while trying to escape. A distraught Stacey confesses to Max that she was actually the one who killed Archie. Stacey runs away from Walford, unable to cope with Bradley's death. Max tracks her down and brings her back home. Stacey realizes Ryan is the father of her baby, but decides not to tell him. He exhibits a romantic interest in her, which is later revealed to be part of a bet with his girlfriend

Janine Butcher Janine Carter (also Butcher, Evans and Malloy) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', introduced in 1989. The character was played by Rebecca Michael from 1989 to 1993, Alexia Demetriou from 1993 to 1996, and Charlie ...

(

Charlie Brooks Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981) is a British actress. Known for the role of Janine Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', she has received numerous awards since her first appearance on the soap in 1999, with storylines invo ...

). Upset by this revelation, Stacey's water breaks. Ryan stays with her as she gives birth to her daughter, whom she names

Lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...

. When Ryan later rescues them from a fire at

The Queen Victoria The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...

pub, Stacey admits that he is Lily's father. Ryan initially refuses to act as a parent to her, but he eventually bonds with Lily when given the chance to look after her. Janine grows increasingly jealous and it eventually escalates to her kidnapping Lily, but Ryan gets her back. Stacey and Ryan grow closer, spending time together, and they share a kiss. During this time, Lauren (now

Jacqueline Jossa Jacqueline Mary Osborne (''née'' Jossa) (born 29 October 1992) is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for portraying Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2010 to 2022, and winning the nineteenth ser ...

) discovers Stacey murdered Archie and records a confession on her phone. Stacey attempts to flee to

Palma, Majorca Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of Mallorc ...

, but Ryan stops her and confesses his feelings for her. They start an affair, but, unbeknownst to them, Janine finds out and poisons Ryan in revenge. Ryan is hospitalised and on his return, he convinces Janine he loves her but later publicly declares his love for Stacey in The Vic. Janine concedes defeat until Lauren, who still believes Max is emotionally involved with Stacey, gives Janine the recorded confession. The next day, Janine attempts to play the recording in front of customers in The Vic, but it has been recorded over because Lauren warned Max. Janine says that Stacey killed Archie but no one believes her. Stacey leaves the pub in tears, followed by Ryan. She then breaks down and tells Ryan that Janine is telling the truth. On Christmas Day, Stacey tells Jean she killed Archie, so a panicked Jean takes Lily away from her. Ryan convinces Stacey to leave with him as Janine will call the police. Stacey lets Janine in and she tries to set Stacey up for attempted murder by grabbing a knife, placing it in Stacey's hand and stabbing herself. Stacey runs out of the house covered in blood and Janine convinces Jean to call the police. Stacey contemplates suicide but Max stops her and says he will help her escape. Stacey convinces Jean that Janine has framed her and Ryan plans to run away with her. Stacey tells Ryan she does not want him to come with her, because she is not sure whether she really loves him. Ronnie and Roxy confront her over their father's murder, and Stacey confesses that she did kill Archie. Ronnie tells her to leave town, and Max drives her to the airport as the police arrive on the Square. At the airport, Max tells her he loves her and offers to leave with her, but she tells him she only ever loved Bradley. She and Lily then board a flight and leave the country. The next day,

Kat Moon Kathleen "Kat" Slater (also Moon) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She is also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the seco ...

(

) receives a phone call from Stacey, saying that she and Lily are safe and well in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

2014–present

Kat sees Stacey walking into a salon, from the top deck of a bus in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Kat finds out where she lives and visits, where she meets Lily (Aine Garvey) and Stacey's boyfriend, Luke Riley (

Matt Willis Mathew James Willis (born 8 May 1983), also previously known as Mattie Jay, is an English musician, singer, songwriter, television personality and actor. He is known as co-founder, bassist and the co-vocalist of the pop rock band, Busted. Will ...

). Luke believes that Stacey's name is "Jenny Smith" and is unaware of her criminal history. Stacey sees Kat leaving and heads back to Albert Square to confront her. Kat later tells Luke "Jenny" is really Stacey so he ends their relationship and throws both Stacey and Lily out. Stacey and Kat then visit Janine in prison to ask her to withdraw the statement she made accusing Stacey of stabbing her, over three years ago. Janine reluctantly agrees, so Stacey can return to Albert Square. Luke visits Stacey, but leaves, after discovering that she murdered a man. Stacey decides to finally clear Bradley's name and calls the police, telling them that she killed Archie. She is arrested and later sentenced to five years in prison. After realising how much Lily is missing her, she decides to appeal her sentence on grounds of diminished responsibility, because of her bipolar disorder and her appeal is successful. Stacey returns to Walford, moving in with Kat and Alfie. As part of an insurance scheme, Alfie commits arson, destroying the home. Stacey works for

Dean Wicks Dean Wicks (known as Deano in his initial stint) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' played by Matt Di Angelo. He made his first appearance on 2 January 2006. It was announced on 18 August 2007 that the characters o ...

(

Matt Di Angelo Mario Angelo S Constantinou (born 1 May 1987), professionally known as Matt Di Angelo, is a British actor and singer, best known for his role as Dean Wicks in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. He also portrayed Sean Kennedy in the BBC drama s ...

) at his salon, "Blades", and they start dating. She and Lily move into Dean's flat and Stacey discovers that Alfie caused the fire. Stacey is disgusted when she discovers that Dean raped

Linda Carter Linda Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Kellie Bright. She first appeared on 19 December 2013 and her casting was announced alongside her on-screen partner, Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer). Linda was ...

(

Kellie Bright Kellie Denise Bright (born 1 July 1976) is an English actress. Her roles include Linda Carter in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', for which she won the 2015 British Soap Award for Best Actress and Best Dramatic Performance, Julie in ''Ali G I ...

) and ends their relationship. Stacey talks to Sean over video chat, and he tells her to look after a mysterious key belonging to their father late father. Stacey is worried about Kat and Alfie leaving, following their lottery win. She is roughed up by Dean, who asks her about his daughter with

Shabnam Masood Shabnam Masood (also Kazemi) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Zahra Ahmadi from 2007 to 2008,Rakhee Thakrar Rakhee Thakrar (born 29 February 1984) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Shabnam Masood in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2014–2016) and Emily Sands in the Netflix comedy-drama ''Sex Education'' (2019–2021). She also ...

). Shabnam's on-off boyfriend

(

) rescues her; they kiss and she tells him that Shabnam had a daughter she abandoned. Kush's friend, Martin Fowler ( James Bye) becomes her flatmate. Martin and Stacey date briefly before she realises she has feelings for Kush, despite his engagement to Shabnam. They kiss for a second time but they regret it. Stacey is jealous when Shabnam reveals she is pregnant, and Stacey reconciles with Martin. Jean returns and reveals that she is marrying

Ollie Walters The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2013, listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Lorraine Newman, executive producer until December 2013, when Dominic Trea ...

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Tony O'Callaghan Tony O'Callaghan (born 16 June 1956) is an English television actor. His most notable role is that of Sergeant Matt Boyden on the British television series ''The Bill'' from 1991 to 2003. He had previously appeared as a villain in ''The Bill'' i ...

) the next day. Jean sees the key and becomes angry, so Stacey is curious and tries to find what the key is for, to no avail; Jean pretends to flush the key down the toilet. Stacey discovers she is pregnant, but Martin asks her to get a termination, claiming that it is too soon in their relationship. She decides to keep the baby after a talk with Shabnam and Martin agrees to stand by her. Stacey is spooked when a man she does not know begins to follow her. Unbeknownst to Stacey, the man,

Kyle Kyle or Kyles may refer to: Places Canada * Kyle, Saskatchewan, Canada Ireland * Kyle, County Laois * Kyle, County Wexford Scotland * Kyle, Ayrshire, area of Scotland which stretched across parts of modern-day East Ayrshire and South Ayrshir ...

( Riley Carter Millington), also has a key like hers. When Stacey finds out Martin is planning to propose, she says she does not want to get married again. He later proposes that she become his "not-wife", so they are committed but not married, and she agrees. When

Lee Carter Lee Carter may refer to: * Lee Carter (baseball), American baseball player *Lee Carter (comics), British fantasy artist * Lee Carter (''EastEnders''), fictional character * Lee J. Carter (born 1987), member of the Virginia House of Delegates * Vipe ...

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Danny Hatchard Danny-Boy Hatchard (born 26 July 1991) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Lee Carter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Hatchard's other credits include Aaron in the 2014 film ''We Still Kill the Old Way'' and Steven Pierc ...

) fails to correctly fix a faulty electric socket, Stacey is electrocuted. She and her baby are fine, and she finds out she is having a boy. She forgives Lee, and tells Shabnam that she saw her dead father Brian when she was electrocuted. When Shabnam finds the baby scan Stacey is hiding, Stacey throws her out of the flat and tears up the scan photo. When Shabnam asks why Stacey is hiding the photo from Martin, Stacey admits he is not the father but the real father was a one-night stand before getting together with him. When Kush confronts her, she tells him that she thinks he could be the father. Kush's mother

Carmel Kazemi The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins. January saw the ar ...

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Bonnie Langford Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford (born 22 July 1964) is an English actress, dancer and singer. She came to prominence as a child star in the 1970s, when she had a notable role in the TV series ''Just William''. In the 1980s, she played c ...

) notices Kush and Stacey talking, and realises that he could be the father of Stacey's baby. Kush and Stacey convince Carmel not to tell Shabnam or Martin. When Stacey later attends a church service and prays for her father, she sees Kyle, who then leaves suddenly without telling her who he is, causing her to become more suspicious. Stacey tells Martin she has a stalker, and when Jean and Ollie visit, she tells them too. Stacey realises that Jean knows who it is, and when she asks, Jean produces the key. Jean reveals the key is for Brian's safety deposit box in a bank. Stacey opens the box but it is empty, so when she confronts Jean, Jean reveals that Brian had another family with another woman, saying they planned to give Stacey the key when she turned 21 but after Brian's death, Sean stole it. Jean reveals that Kyle has been trying to contact her and Stacey through letters, making Stacey realise that Kyle is her half-brother. Kush tells Stacey that they must tell the truth to Shabnam and Martin about the paternity of Stacey's baby. Stacey gives birth at Lily's nativity play and Martin names the baby

Arthur Fowler Arthur Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Bill Treacher from 1985 to 1996. The father of the Fowler family, Arthur was essentially a good man but made some foolish choices that he always ended up ...

, after his father. When Kush holds the baby, his behaviour makes Shabnam realise that he could be Arthur's father. Shabnam confronts Stacey but she denies Kush is the father. Kat visits Stacey for Christmas 2015 and discovers that Martin is not Arthur's father, urging Stacey to tell him the truth. As Stacey is about to do so, Kyle approaches her and formally introduces himself to her as her half-brother. After overhearing Kat talk to someone about a baby being stolen, Stacey fears for Arthur's safety and takes refuge in the church, where

Dot Branning Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in fl ...

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June Brown June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the ''In ...

), who has been teaching her about Christianity, finds her and tells her the story of the Massacre of the Innocents, causing Stacey to believe that Arthur is in danger. Believing people are trying to harm Arthur, Stacey unsuccessfully attempts to baptise Arthur through Dot's sink. She discovers that Charlie has died, so flees and meets Kyle, asking him to run away with her. Martin calls her, claiming that Kyle is not who he says he is and Stacey accuses Kyle of being the devil. She takes a cab and sees a vision of Charlie driving it, and he convinces her to return home to Walford. During a storm she goes to the roof of The Queen Vic, saying that God is coming for Arthur. Martin finds her there and she tells him that Arthur was sent from God and now she is waiting for God to rescue them. Martin is forced to go along with this and convinces her to come home with him. By the time of Charlie's funeral, Stacey is convinced that Martin is a demon who is working with the devil. Eventually, Martin convinces her that he is not a demon and that a hospital is the safest place for her and Arthur. However, she is then sectioned after refusing to voluntarily admit herself, because she will be separated from Arthur. Stacey tells the doctor she has been hearing God's voice since Arthur's birth at Christmas, so the doctor suspects she is suffering from

. Martin apologises to her and promises to make things right, determined to find a way to bring her back together with Arthur. Shabnam soon realises that Stacey wants to see Arthur, so goes to Martin with the idea of getting Stacey and Arthur taken to a mother and baby care unit. When Shabnam decides to leave Walford, Stacey finally admits that Kush is Arthur's father, showing that she is starting to recover. Martin finds a mother and baby unit for Stacey in Essex, and takes her and Arthur there. Stacey writes Martin a letter revealing that Arthur is Kush's son, but decides not to send it, however a nurse finds it and gives it to Martin; Martin is heartbroken. Stacey begs for his forgiveness, but he goes to America, returning a few weeks later and they reunite. Stacey is allowed a home visit, where she meets Kyle again. He explains that he is transgender and he used to be her sister but is now her brother. Stacey accepts and supports him and allows him to stay at her and Martin's flat. Stacey says she no longer wants to be Martin's "not-wife" and proposes to him, which he accepts, and tells Kush he can be part of Arthur's life, but Kush later decides he does not want to be Arthur's role model. Stacey is discharged from the mother and baby unit. After being released, Stacey tries to talk to Masood but instead he rebuffs her apology, blaming her for Shabnam leaving. Carmel tries to persuade Masood to forgive her but instead gets angry when Masood does not show interest. Martin and Kyle think Stacey is putting too much pressure on herself when she invites Jean, Ollie and her cousin

Belinda Peacock The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2001, by order of appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer, John Yorke. The first character to be introduced ...

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Carli Norris Carli Jo Norris (born 23 June 1974) is an English actress, known for her roles as Anoushka Flynn in '' Doctors'', Martha Kane in ''Hollyoaks'' and taking over the role of Belinda Peacock in ''EastEnders''. Career In June 1997, just before off ...

) for a family dinner. During the dinner, Jean does not accept that Kyle is transgender and instead calls him a liar, while also clashing with Belinda. Stacey later argues with Jean to accept and believe Kyle but instead Jean leaves. Belinda then reveals that Stacey and Martin may have to move out because Kat is due to stop paying their rent soon. Martin's attempts to make money fail, and he takes work away from home. While he is gone,

Andy Flynn Andy Flynn may refer to: *Andy Flynn (footballer) Andrew Flynn (1895 – ?) was an English professional footballer who played as a full back. He played for Mexborough, Exeter City, York City and Boston Town. Career Born in Sheffield, West ...

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Jack Derges Jack Derges is a British actor known for portraying the role of Andy Flynn in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career Derges made his acting debut in the 2007 ''Casualty'' episode "Core Values" as Private Haydon; he returned to the show in 2 ...

) invites himself into Stacey's home and they become friendly; Stacey soon realises he is homeless. She also contacts Kyle's mother

Alison Slater The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, or his successor S ...

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Denise Welch Jacqueline Denise Welch (born 22 May 1958) is an English actress, television personality, writer and broadcaster. Her roles include Natalie Barnes in ''Coronation Street'' (1997–2000), Steph Haydock in '' Waterloo Road'' (2006–2010), and ...

) who visits, but she refuses to accept him. To help with Martin's money problems, Andy tells him he can help him steal some toilets that were delivered in error to the building site he is working on, which is the house next to Martin and Stacey's flat. Andy, Martin, Stacey and Kyle successfully steal them but fail to sell them. Belinda then moves in after leaving her husband

Neville Peacock The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, or his successor S ...

( Gary Webster), and they are all forced to return the toilets when Belinda inadvertently tries to sell them back to

Jack Branning Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and the brot ...

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Scott Maslen Scott Alexander Maslen (born 25 June 1971) is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's ''The Bill'' and Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap ''EastEnders'' since 2007. He also took part in the 20 ...

), from whom they were stolen. Stacey and Martin then marry. Stacey helps Belinda out at her new salon and Belinda is impressed with her. Martin's teenage daughter

Bex Fowler The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2000, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by Matthew Robinson (producer), Matthew Robinson, or his successor, John Yorke ...

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Jasmine Armfield Jasmine Armfield (born 17 December 1998) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Bex Fowler in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2014 to 2020. Early life Armfield was born in Southend, Essex. She attended The King John ...

) confides in Stacey about her boyfriend Shakil Kazemi (

Shaheen Jafargholi Shaheen Jafargholi ( fa, شاهین جعفرقلی; born 23 January 1997) is a Welsh actor and singer. In 2009, he finished in seventh place on the ITV competition series ''Britain's Got Talent''. Since then, he has portrayed the roles of Shak ...

) wanting sex with her and asks for advice. When Bex's mother and Martin's former wife Sonia Jackson (

Natalie Cassidy Natalie Ann Cassidy (born 13 May 1983) is an English actress. She has played Sonia Fowler in ''EastEnders'' since 1993, appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror '' Psychoville'' and was a contestant on the seventh series of ''Strictly Come Dan ...

) leaves Walford temporarily, Bex moves in with the Fowlers, leaving the flat overcrowded, so they move into Sonia's old house. Max returns to Walford after being wrongly imprisoned for murdering

Lucy Beale Lucy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The character was played by Eva Brittin-Snell (from 1993 to 1996), Casey Anne Rothery (from 1996 until 2004), Melissa Suffield (from 2004 to 2010), and Hetti Bywater ...

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Hetti Bywater Harriet Jessica Phoebe “Hetti” Bywater (born 10 September 1994) is an English former actress. She is best known for portraying Lucy Beale in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', taking over the role from Melissa Suffield in January 2012 until ...

), and Stacey is happy that he is back. Stacey is upset when Martin is involved in a bus crash but he recovers and agrees to having a baby with Stacey. Stacey and Martin decide to keep their distance from the Kazemis following Bex's bullying ordeal, caused by an explicit photo of Shakil being distributed from Bex's phone. Carmel is hurt with being excluded from Arthur's life and Stacey and Carmel fight when Carmel makes remarks about Stacey's mental health, so Stacey bans her from seeing Arthur. However, Max persuades Stacey to let Carmel be involved with Arthur. Stacey tells Martin that she is pregnant and they agree to seek medical advice because she is worried about her postpartum psychosis returning. In July 2017, Stacey goes for a job interview at The Queen Vic and is accepted as a barmaid there once again. After a gas explosion in Albert Square, Martin panics when he cannot find Stacey and hits a police officer in confusion, resulting in two weeks imprisonment. Kush suffers a cardiac arrest and is diagnosed with

Brugada Syndrome Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a genetic disorder in which the electrical activity of the heart is abnormal due to channelopathy. It increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death. Those affected may have episodes of syncope ...

, which is hereditary, meaning Arthur could have it, so Stacey worries that Arthur could die. Carmel witnesses a stressed Stacey physically taking Lily upstairs and refuses to leave Stacey with Lily and Arthur. Following an ECG, it is confirmed that Arthur is at high risk at having Brugada Syndrome, but he cannot have an operation or tests due to his age. His parents are told about equipment that is not available on the NHS that can help Arthur, which Kush provides, angering Stacey as Martin asked Kush for the money. Arthur falls unconscious and Stacey and Martin are told that Arthur has swallowed Stacey's bipolar medication. Carmel is horrified when she finds bruises on Arthur's arms, and expresses her concerns to Kush that Stacey is unwell, while Stacey tells Martin's sister

Michelle Fowler Michelle Fowler (also Holloway) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Susan Tully from the show's first episode on 19 February 1985 up until the character's departure on 26 October 1995. She returned on 24 De ...

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Jenna Russell Jenna Russell (born 5 October 1967) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared on the stage in London in both musicals and dramas, as well as appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She performed the role of Dot in ''Sunday in the ...

) that he gained the bruises in hospital. However, Lily tells Carmel that Stacey was responsible, so Carmel reports this to social services, but tries to retract what she said after realising it was a mistake. Social services visit the family and place Arthur and Lily in Carmel's care until they have investigated. A doctor has no concerns about Arthur, so the children are returned to Stacey and Martin, though are subject to further home visits. Lily then tells Stacey and Martin that she caused Arthur's bruises. After speaking with Lily, social worker Fiona Payne (Sandra James-Young) tells Stacey and Martin that Lily feels pushed out with Arthur and is anxious about the new baby. Carmel admits that she called social services, enraging Stacey. After screaming at Carmel and Kush, Stacey suffers an eclamptic seizure and is rushed to the hospital, where she and Martin are told her baby will have to be delivered prematurely due to a lack of oxygen. The baby is delivered, though Martin is told that there are complications. Stacey does not want to see the baby at first but later does, and they name her

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...

. When Max is rejected by his family and friends after it is revealed that he has been conning them out of their businesses so that the area can be redeveloped, Stacey is one of the few people to offer him support. Stacey hears from Lauren that Max has tried killing

Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...

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Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...

) and tries calming him down, letting him stay with her and Martin, however, they nearly kiss. Martin is unconvinced that Max will not come between Stacey and their family, so asks Stacey to get Max to leave, which she does. Max tricks Stacey into returning home and tries to convince her there is still a spark between them. Stacey initially resists but gives in and they have sex. Stacey's phone is posted through the letter box and she finds it the next day. Max realises that

Jane Beale Lesley Jane Beale (also Clarke and Collins) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Laurie Brett. She made her first appearance on 22 June 2004. Brett took maternity leave in 2011 and departed on 19 May. Sh ...

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Laurie Brett Laurie Brett (born 28 March 1969) is a Scottish actress, best known for her roles as Jane Beale in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Christine Mulgrew in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road''. Early and personal life ...

) has left messages for Stacey and deletes them. However, Tanya returns to take her daughters away as she has heard from Jane what Max has done, and, disgusted to learn that Max and Stacey have restarted their affair, reveals to Stacey that Max killed

Steven Beale Steven Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Edward Farrell from 1989 to 1990, Stuart Stevens from 1992 to 1998, Edward Savage from 1998 to 2002, and Aaron Sidwell from 2007 to 2017. It was announced ...

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Aaron Sidwell Aaron Michael Sidwell (born 12 September 1988) is an English actor and singer. He is known for portraying the role of Steven Beale on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', originating the role of Michael Dork in ''Loserville in the West End'' and ...

) and tried to kill Jane, which is overheard by both Abi and Martin. Max denies this but later admits to Stacey that it is true but he had good reasons. Stacey rejects him, saying he will never changed and she wishes he had died instead of Bradley. Max contemplates suicide by jumping from the roof of the Vic but Lauren and Abi talk him down, however, Stacey watches as they fall and are severely injured. Martin tells Stacey they should continue as normal, pretending that nothing has happened, but Stacey admits to having sex with Max, saying they need to talk about it or their relationship will not have a chance. Martin refuses to talk to Stacey about it so it does not ruin Christmas for their children and that he will not accept blame for her actions. Stacey explains that she had sex with Max as she and Martin never have time for themselves and she is left to manage the house. Martin decides to make up with Stacey after speaking to

Ted Murray The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

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Christopher Timothy Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει� ...

), but Stacey leaves Walford with Lily, Arthur and Hope, choosing to live with Jean for a while. Stacey returns and after accusations and arguments with Martin, Martin throws her out and exposes her affair, but Stacey gains entry to the house and has the locks changed. An unknown relative of Stacey's,

Hayley Slater The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke. Madhav Sharma and Indira Josh ...

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Katie Jarvis Katie Jarvis (born 22 June 1991) is an English actress, known for her roles as Mia Williams in ''Fish Tank'' (2009) and Hayley Slater in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2018–2019). Career Jarvis was seen by a casting agent working for dir ...

), starts taking photos of Martin and Stacey. Martin attempts to delete an email from Stacey's account about filing for divorce upon organising a childcare rota. When Martin is late returning Hope after being distracted by Hayley, Hayley whispers to Stacey who she is and Stacey does not want Hayley around her, but she later gets in touch with Hayley when she receives a letter accidentally from Martin's solicitor. When Martin spends time with Hayley, she encourages Martin to take the children out, disobeying Stacey's instructions. Hayley pretends to defend Martin in front of Stacey when she collects Arthur and Hope with police presence due to Martin not returning them. Later, Hayley visits Stacey and warns her not to soften towards Martin when she feels guilty as they are cousins and Slater girls. Stacey is devastated when Big Mo returns to Walford with the news Kat is dead and she and Martin become intimate when he supports her through her grief. Friends suggest fundraising ideas for Kat's funeral, but Jean later arrives when a concerned Martin contacts her. Jean tells Stacey and Mo that Kat could not be dead as she spoke to her earlier on the phone, but when Stacey checks Jean’s call history, there are no calls from Kat. Mo encourages Stacey to put it down to Jean not taking her bipolar medication. Stacey later questions Mo and is left furious when she discovers that Jean was right, Kat had actually not died and Mo used Kat dying as an excuse because she is in financial trouble and a mob is after her. Kat suddenly arrives back in Walford in a cab and is confused that The Queen Vic is holding a benefit night in memory of her. She is then annoyed with Mo when she learns the truth, but is forced to hide in a cupboard when Ian visits with the raised money. Annie Pritchard (

Martha Howe-Douglas Martha Howe-Douglas is an English actress and writer. She is a member of the British Horrible Histories troupe, in which she starred in the TV series ''Horrible Histories''. She also starred in and co-created ''Yonderland'' and ''Ghosts''. S ...

), the daughter of Terry, who is the man that Mo conned money from, arrives on the Slaters doorstep to get her father’s money back, but the family fool her into believing Mo has died. Kat, Stacey and Mo arrive at The Queen Vic just as Mick is giving a speech about Kat and attempt to maintain that Mo made a mistake about Kat dying, the residents think the Slaters are conwomen and a bar fight soon starts. When Annie returns, Jean pays Annie the money back, and Annie leaves. Jean decides to stay in Walford until she is paid back. Kat starts a cleaning business with Stacey, Jean and Mo so they can pay Jean back. Stacey gets jealous when she sees Martin’s close relationship with his old friend

Mel Owen Melanie "Mel" Owen (also Healy and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Tamzin Outhwaite. Mel was introduced by executive producer Matthew Robinson and made her first appearance on 19 October 1998 ...

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Tamzin Outhwaite Tamzin Maria Outhwaite (; born 5 November 1970) is an English actress, presenter and narrator. Since playing the role of Mel Owen in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', she has starred in a number of theatre and television productions, includi ...

), who eventually offers the Slaters a contract to clean the re-opened E20. Stacey is also displeased when Hayley returns and Martin discovers Stacey is related to Hayley when Stacey declares that she still loves him. After going out with Martin, Sonia arranges a break away for them, but changes her mind when she witnesses Martin comforting Stacey and instead insists that Martin reconcile with Stacey. Stacey and Martin's reunion becomes public knowledge when they are caught together in the shed at the allotments and later in Martin's van. Martin then moves back in with Stacey and the kids. Stacey reunites with her old friend Ruby at the E20 on a night out and they attend Martin's school reunion. The next day, Ruby tells Stacey she had sex with two of Martin's friends but only said yes to one of them. Stacey convinces her she was raped and supports her as she reports it to the police. Stacey supports Ruby through her rape ordeal and eventually the men responsible for Ruby's rape are charged and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Unknown to Stacey, Jean has been diagnosed with

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...

and hides this from the family. Kat finds out and reveals this to Stacey. Stacey tries to support Jean, but she runs away, although she is later found and persuaded back to Walford. Jean decides to stay with

Shirley Carter Shirley Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Linda Henry. She first appeared on 7 December 2006, during episodes set in Dorset. This is Henry's second role in ''EastEnders'', as she previously playe ...

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Linda Henry Linda Varilis (''née'' Henry; born 24 August 1959) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV drama '' Bad Girls'' and Shirley Carter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she has played since 2006. S ...

) and her family at The Queen Vic, despite Stacey pleading with Jean to return home. Fearing that Jean's cancer will worsen, Stacey decides to contact Sean and tell him about Jean's cancer. Whilst picking up the children from school, Stacey discovers that

Amy Mitchell The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' which aired in 2008 (by order of first appearance). All characters were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer. Santer introduced four ch ...

(Abbie Burke) is missing and unbeknownst to her, Sean has picked Amy up and returns her to Walford. Stacey confronts Sean at the pub and Sean is angry at Stacey for not telling him about Roxy's death. Sean goes missing and Stacey and Jean manage to trace him at a barn at the point of suicide. Sean reveals that he killed their father during an argument, but Stacey and Jean forgive him and manage to talk him out of suicide. Stacey falls out with Kat after she doesn't tell her about Kush's plans to go for joint custody of Arthur and disowns her as family, stealing £50,000 from Kat which belongs to

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), however she gives the money back after Phil threatens the family. A few weeks later Stacey spends a night at Max's house after seeing him drunk and finds out that he is self harming, her friendship with Ruby then becomes strained after she starts a relationship with Max. After an argument with Martin, Stacey admits to him that she is jealous of Max and Ruby and so he walks out of The Queen Vic from her. Later on Kat and Martin get into a fight with Phil in his garage, leading to Phil attempting to strangle Martin. He is then hit over the head with a wrench, and it is revealed that Stacey is the culprit, as she did it to save Martin. He is left at the bottom of the pit, seemingly "dead", fighting for his life. Stacey and Martin flee Walford with Lily and Hope to go on the run to evade potential arrest leaving behind Arthur who stays with Kush. Martin returns to Walford two months later when Bex attempts suicide. He encounters Phil's son, Ben Mitchell (

Max Bowden Max Bowden (born 31 December 1994) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Justin Fitzgerald in the BBC One school-based drama series ''Waterloo Road (TV series), Waterloo Road'', and his portrayal of Ben Mitchell (EastEnders), Be ...

), who blackmails him into performing illegal activity for him in exchange for Stacey's safety. When Ben threatens to kill Stacey and their children, Martin visits her and ends their marriage, lying that he has had sex with Sonia and wants to be in a relationship with her, devastating Stacey. When Ben relieves Martin of his illegal duties and retracts his threat to hurt Stacey and the children, Martin tries to contact Stacey to no avail. A man,

Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...

(Chris Charles), then arrives at the Slater household to collect the belongings of Stacey and the children, which Martin contests. Martin later receives divorce papers, on the grounds of adultery, from Stacey's lawyer. One year later. Ruby learns that someone has been illegally withdrawing money from her bank account; she soon discovers it is Stacey, who has learnt about her relationship with Martin. Stacey returns to Walford to Jean's displeasure, and also meets with Martin, allowing him to spend time with Hope and Lily (now played by Lillia Turner). After talking to Martin, Ruby confronts Stacey and gives her an ultimatum: Stacey stays in Walford and pays her back or she will report her to the police. Stacey tries to make amends with Jean and after learning about Suki Panesar's ( Balvinder Sopal) behaviour towards Jean, she confronts Suki, but is stopped by Jean. Stacey is surprised to learn that Martin lied about cheating to protect her from Ben, and becomes upset when she spots Martin and Ruby kiss. Stacey is disappointed when she learns that Martin and Ruby had secretly married whilst on holiday, leading to a confrontation at Ruby's when Ruby purposely makes Stacey jealous. She criticizes Ruby to Kat and Lily, who reveals what Stacey had said about Ruby. The following day, Martin and Ruby spend time with the children and believing that Ruby is trying to take her children from her which she isn't and doesn't care about them, Stacey goes to confront her and on her way there, Stacey is attacked by an unseen man, who was instructed by Ruby to attack Stacey.

Kheerat Panesar The following is a list of characters introduced to the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2019, by order of first appearance. The characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke, or his successors, senior executive pr ...

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Jaz Deol Jaskiranjit Singh Deol (born 12 March 1989) is a British actor, known for portraying the role of Kheerat Panesar on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 2019 to 2022. Career Deol made his onscreen debut in the 2010 television film ''Castin ...

) comes to Stacey's aid and calms her down; they discuss their respective love of their life relationships with Bradley Branning and

Chantelle Atkins The following is a list of characters introduced to the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2019, by order of first appearance. The characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke, or his successors, senior executive p ...

(

Jessica Plummer Jessica Kate Plummer (born 16 September 1992) is an English actress and singer. From 2013 to 2015, she was a member of the British girl group Neon Jungle, with whom she released an album that peaked at number eight on the UK Albums Chart. She is ...

), before having sex. Kheerat decides to offer Stacey a job as a receptionist at his pest control business which Suki refuses, though Stacey later turns down the job. On Christmas Day, Stacey mistakenly receives an expensive watch from Martin, which was meant for Ruby, leading her to believe that Martin wants to resume their relationship, so she kisses him. However, Martin rejects her and Ruby warns Stacey to stay away from Martin. On New Year's Day, Kush takes Arthur and attempts to flee the country but Whitney is able to talk Kush into coming back and then Ruby fakes a pregnancy to hold on to Martin and manipulates him. Ruby and Martin want to take the kids on holiday and Stacey worries if the kids will want to come back to her after the holiday. Stacey finds out that £140 was taken out of her account and confronts Ruby. During the confrontation, Ruby falls down the stairs and pretends she miscarried. Ruby lies to the police and martin that Stacey pushed her with only Jean and Lily believing her. Stacey decides to hand herself in and gets a six-month sentence. She says a tearful goodbye to her family. Jean regularly visits Stacey in prison. Three months later Stacey ends up in a fight and her visitor privileges are withdrawn. And two months later Martin visits Stacey in prison under special visitor orders to explain the situation with Ruby and the kids after lily and Jean were set up as drug dealers and orders Martin to sort her out or She will kill ruby with her bare hands. A few days Jean also visits Stacey after Ruby is sent to prison for the drugs after Jean claimed Ruby was the dealer. A month later, Stacey is released from prison on probation and returns to Walford. Stacey reveals to Martin that she has got married again, and after a visit from her probation officer, she tells Jean that she has married a woman called

Eve Unwin The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer, Kate Oates, and executive produce ...

(

Heather Peace Heather Mary Peace (born 16 June 1975) is a British actress, musician and LGBT rights activist from Bradford, England. She is best known for her hit role as Nikki Boston in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'' from 2012 to 20 ...

). Stacey explains that their marriage is a sham and that she offered to marry Eve in order to get her released from prison. Later that day, Eve arrives in Walford and Jean takes an instant dislike to her. Jean calls Sean and he manipulates her into believing that she will ruin Stacey's life and she leaves. Stacey is furious with Jean as Eve has used their address for parole and enlists Martin to help her to find Eve. Stacey grows close to former flame Kheerat but Eve's clashes with Suki push them apart. Eve impersonates her former job as a solicitor to null Suki's eviction, but she discovers their plan and pushes their eviction forward. When Eve clashes with Suki in the café, she orders the Slaters to leave imminently. They later move in with Phil. Stacey opens a food van and clashes with market inspector

Honey Mitchell Honey Mitchell (also Edwards) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Emma Barton. She made her first appearance in the show on 22 November 2005. The character left the show on 2 September 2008. Barton briefly ...

(

Emma Barton Emma Louise Barton (born 26 July 1977) is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for the role of Honey Mitchell in ''EastEnders'' which she has portrayed on and off since November 2005. Before her role in ''EastEnders'', Barton appeared ...

) when Jean brides her to provide Stacey with a prime spot on the market, and with Suki when Stacey and Eve move the van in front of the Minute Mart. Stacey and Kheerat become close once again and rekindle their romance, however, Stacey becomes unsettled when she sees Kheerat becoming close with Whitney. Stacey helps Kheerat to flee Walford when he attacks

Gray Atkins The following is a list of characters introduced to the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2019, by order of first appearance. The characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke, or his successors, senior executive pr ...

(Toby-Alexander Smith) in self-defence after he reveals that he murdered Chantelle, and she later discovers that he had also pushed Kush in front of the train which killed him. Stacey becomes worried by Jean’s ecstatic behaviour and her speedy relationship with

Harvey Monroe The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer, Kate Oates, and executive produce ...

(

Ross Boatman Ross Maxim Boatman (born 3 March 1964) is an English actor, professional poker player and a member of the poker-playing group the Hendon Mob. He is known for the role of Firefighter Kevin Medhurst in the ITV drama series '' London's Burning'' ...

), and they clash when Stacey is concerned that Jean is unwell again. Jean soon becomes vile towards Stacey, and plans a surprise for the children by purchasing a bouncy castle, and also puts pressure on Stacey to tell Arthur the truth about Kush's death. Stacey is mortified when she sees her Jean on the bouncy castle embarrassing herself and also accidentally hurting Arthur. Unable to convince Jean that she is unwell, she prohibits her from being alone with her children unless Jean sees a doctor. However Jean secretly takes Arthur to the Tube station where Kush died, where she tells him what happened to Kush. This leads to an argument in which Jean disowns Stacey and moves in with Harvey. Stacey tries to appeal to Harvey that Jean is experiencing a manic episode, but he refuses to listen. Jean later leaves Walford with Harvey and Stacey pretends to be Jean, to get a doctor's appointment. Jean becomes distant towards Stacey and after much pressure, she agrees to follow Stacey to the GP but leaves midway through the appointment. Jean becomes engaged to Harvey and refuses to invite Stacey to her engagement party. In July 2022, Stacey is stunned when Lily reveals she has tracked down Kat’s estranged daughter

(

) on social media and invited her to Kat’s wedding to Phil. Stacey tries to assure Lily that Kat and Zoe’s relationship is complicated and not to intervene. Lily also notices that Zoe is in London and arranges for her to meet with Kat at Peggy’s bar that evening, however, Zoe ignores Lily’s message and does not turn up, leaving the Slaters disappointed. In November 2022, Stacey is left distraught when Kheerat hands himself in for a murder his mother Suki committed, thus ending their relationship.

Creation

In September 2004, an official BBC press release announced an addition to the popular

; the new "feisty female" named Stacey Slater,

's teenage great-niece and second cousin to Kat, Lynne,

Belinda Belinda is a feminine given name of unknown origin, apparently coined from Italian ''bella'', meaning "beautiful". Alternatively it may be derived from the Old High German name ''Betlinde'', which possibly meant "bright serpent" or "bright linde ...

and Little Mo, and third cousin to Zoe. According to the report, Stacey "looks like a Slater and shares the same family attitude but with one differenceStacey is one hell of a bitch! ..She is going to be trouble!" The 16 year–old actress

was cast in the role. Turner had originally gone to audition for a part in the

Miller A miller is a person who operates a Gristmill, mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Mill (grinding), Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surname ...

family, but was given the part of Stacey instead.BBC – EastEnders – Backstage – Cast – Lacey Turner
/ref> Commenting on her role, Turner said "I was speechless when I found out that I had been cast as Stacey Slater especially as I knew I would be working with

who is my favourite actress. I've watched the show since I was about four years old, and I used to live in a house that backed onto the ''EastEnders'' set so I used to watch them filming all the time. I always dreamt of being on the show and so I can't believe that I've fulfilled my greatest ambition!" She added, "I'm not like Stacey at all although I love playing her! She's a real challenge ..I think people are going to love to hate her like they did with

he character He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

." ''EastEnders'' scriptwriter

revealed that he created the character with Turner in mind: "I first met Lacey when she came to a casting workshop for the Miller family ... She was leaning against a wall and looked just like

, played by Wallace. I thought she would be perfect for the Slater family so I wrote in Stacey's character especially for Lacey."

Development

Personality and lineage

The character appears to be tough, stubborn, fiery and very bitchy, however, as Turner explains, this is just a front and "underneath she's very vulnerable". Turner has described her character as a cross between two other ''EastEnders'' characters, Janine Butcher and Kat Slater, saying: "She's very naughty, but she has her reasons for her nastiness." Over the course of the character's narrative, it was revealed that one of the reasons for Stacey's tough and malicious exterior was her troubled family life — specifically the death of her father, disappearance of her brother, and her mother's

. Addressed in a storyline that aired in December 2005, Stacey returned to live with her "disturbed" mother

, played by

, during one of her breakdowns. Jean, who had "sank into the dark despair of her illness", was living in squalor, off her medication, starved,

suicidal Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and subs ...

, and being abused and ridiculed by her neighbours. Stacey was forced to admit her to a

mental institution Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...

for her own safety. The storyline won a Mental Health Media Award in September 2006.

Romance with Bradley Branning and affair with Max Branning

In 2006, scriptwriters decided to pair Stacey with a new character,

, played by

. Explaining the characters' attraction, scriptwriter

Sarah Phelps Sarah Phelps is a British television screenwriter, radio writer, playwright and television producer. She is best known for her work on ''EastEnders'', a number of BBC serial adaptations including Agatha Christie's ''The Witness For the Prosecuti ...

has said, "Bradley's gentleness makes Stacey a little bit gentler, and Stacey's toughness makes Bradley a little bit tougher." The couple were shown to face problems in August 2006, when Stacey declared she was pregnant with Bradley's child, and on the advice of his father, Max (

), Bradley convinced Stacey to have an abortion. Scriptwriter Sarah Phelps has described Stacey's abortion as "a dagger in erheart ... Stacey thought that if this is what

radley Radley is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish about northeast of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the Hamlet (place), hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. It was part of B ...

really wants ... 'OK I'll go through with it', but she really didn't want to. He broke her heart." Although Stacey and Bradley split up at Christmas 2007 when her affair with Max is revealed, they reunite in December 2009 following Stacey's diagnosis with

(see below). Executive producer

Diederick Santer Diederick Santer (born 3 July 1969) is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'', a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010. He was Chief Exec ...

commented on the storyline, saying "Bradley and Stacey are together – that's what I want, that's what the audience wants and that's what the characters want. Together, they're very strong and they can take on the world. She's good with him, she takes her medication and on the face of it, she's the Stacey Slater we've always known. As ever with Stacey, though, there's a lot hidden. There are a lot of vulnerabilities there but she and Bradley want to make a go of things." The 2007 Christmas Day episode in which the affair was revealed is one of the most iconic episodes in ''EastEnders'' history and was watched by 14.34 million viewers, becoming the shows' biggest rating in three years and the highest watched TV programme that year altogether.

Bipolar disorder

After losing her friend Danielle Jones, Stacey began acting strangely in May 2009, and the character has to come to terms with the prospect that, like her mother, she also suffers from bipolar disorder. The storyline was developed as of the BBC's Headroom campaign, which aims to encourage people to look after their mental wellbeing. Series Consultant

Simon Ashdown Simon Ashdown is a British television writer, best known as being a BAFTA award-nominated ''EastEnders'' writer. Career From 1995 to 2013, Ashdown was series consultant and lead writer on ''EastEnders''. He was involved in the creation of the Sl ...

had been developing the storyline for about a year. To accurately reflect the issue, ''EastEnders'' worked closely with various charities such as

Mind The mind is the set of faculties responsible for all mental phenomena. Often the term is also identified with the phenomena themselves. These faculties include thought, imagination, memory, will, and sensation. They are responsible for various m ...

and MDF The BiPolar Organisation, medical practitioners and bipolar sufferers when researching the storyline. The story was moulded around what Stacey would do in that situation and what the research led the team to believe was the most truthful way events would develop. Executive producer

said that the initial buildup of the storyline was an extension of how the character has always been, "a character of highs and lows, of great passions and dark moods," but these highs and lows would become more contrasted, and viewers would realise that Stacey's mood is more complex than just being upset over her losses, adding, "It's the beginning of us getting to really know and understand who Stacey is and what makes her behave the way she does." Turner hoped that she could do the storyline justice, saying that she believed it was great that ''EastEnders'' continued to raise awareness of the issue. The first signs of Stacey's odd behaviour were subtle, eventually building up into more extreme acts. One of the earliest indicators was her

paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...

over a poster for a fictitious video game, ''Deprivation'', featuring two large eyes on a black background. Ashdown got the idea for this from his research notes, saying, "There were similar sorts of images described by bipolar sufferers when they were experiencing extreme paranoia." Mind's Chief Executive, Paul Farmer, commented on the storyline, "It's fantastic that a high-profile soap like ''EastEnders'' has been prepared to tackle the challenge of exploring a mental health issue through the experience of Stacey — who is such a well-loved and popular character. The degree of research and consultancy they have undertaken to ensure an accurate and honest portrayal of how mental distress affects not only the individual but also family and friends is to be commended. ... We hope ... to dispel the myths about mental health problems and help the public to be more informed about this issue."

Pregnancy, Archie's murder and Bradley's death

On 25 December 2009, storylines showed the character of

(

) murdered by an unseen person when the bronze bust of Queen Victoria was pushed from the bar of

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

onto his head. Prior to this, Stacey had told Bradley that Archie raped her when she was suffering from bipolar disorder and she was pregnant with his child. A live episode broadcast on 19 February 2010 revealed Stacey as the killer, moments after Bradley fell to his death after becoming the prime suspect. Following this, a two-hander episode was announced for Stacey and Max, who became the only person to know Stacey was the killer. Santer promised "fascinating" stories for Stacey and Max, saying that the two-hander will explore Stacey's motives for killing Archie, and will be a test for Max as the murder led to his son's death. Santer explained that the murder was not a function of Stacey's bipolar disorder as she was lucid at the time, and she had several sound reasons to be angry with him – he took advantage of her, ruined her second chance with Bradley, caused a chain of events leading to the death of Stacey's best friend Danielle and drove her brother Sean out of Walford. The two-hander also explored the question of whether Stacey really meant to kill Archie. In an interview with magazine ''

Soaplife ''Soaplife'' was a soap opera magazine published in the United Kingdom by TI Media (formerly IPC Media and Time Inc. UK). The magazine was first published in 1999 and focused on British and Australian soap operas. It was originally published mont ...

'', Turner said that the baby gives Stacey a reason to live following Bradley's death. However, she predicted in an interview on the official ''EastEnders'' website that Bradley's death would lead to a permanent change in Stacey's character, saying that Stacey would struggle with motherhood.

Departure

On 29 April 2010, Turner's decision to leave the show was announced after she expressed a desire to pursue other roles. She said of her departure: "I've had the most fantastic time at ''EastEnders''. Stacey has been such a brilliant role for me to play, as has been part of the feisty Slater family. I'm so lucky to have had such challenging storylines, from the affair with Max and being diagnosed with bipolar to the complete shock of being revealed as Archie's killer during the live 25th Anniversary episode. I'll miss Stacey and everyone in Albert Square very much but the time has come to try something different." Executive producer

Bryan Kirkwood Bryan Kirkwood (born 1976) is a British television producer. He was the producer of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2006 until 2009, and was the executive producer of the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from 2010 until 2012. He returned as t ...

added: "We'll be very sad to see Lacey Turner leave the show. Lacey is one of the best young actresses on TV at the moment and the fact that she's won 28 awards in the last five years is testament to this. It's only right that someone as talented and versatile as Lacey should pursue new challenges and we wish her the very best of luck. In the meantime, viewers can look forward to a typically dramatic Slater family exit when she leaves and the door will be left open for Stacey Slater to return to Albert Square in the future." During an interview on '' This Morning'', Kirkwood revealed that Stacey will take centre stage at Christmas and will depart in a "dramatic plotline" and said "Christmas will be all about tacey and explained the storyline would be "a suitably dramatic and fitting departure for one of the all-time greats". Stacey departed on Christmas Day 2010.

Reintroduction

On 6 December 2013, it was announced that Turner would return to the soap to reprise her role as Stacey, and would begin filming in January 2014. Turner was quoted as saying: "I may have left ''EastEnders'' over three years ago but the show has always been in my heart, as has Stacey, and she has never really left my side. I am so excited about returning and seeing what the future holds for her. It's been a while since I set foot in Albert Square and I am looking forward to coming home." Executive producer

Dominic Treadwell-Collins Dominic Treadwell-Collins (born 26 August 1977) is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas ''Family Affairs'' and ''EastEnders'', creating the ''EastEnders'' spin-off series ''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' and Executive Pr ...

added: "Stacey is one of ''EastEnders'' best-loved characters, played by one of television's finest actors, and I am tremendously excited that Lacey has decided to return home to Walford. Stacey's last time on the Square was iconic. But that was just the first act. There is so much more to come for Stacey—and her return will send ripples of drama through the Square." Stacey confesses to the murder of Archie Mitchell. Lacey Turner took a break to film the new series of ''

Our Girl ''Our Girl'' is a British television military drama series, written and created by Tony Grounds, first broadcast on BBC One on 24 March 2013. The series initially starred Lacey Turner as Molly Dawes, a young working-class woman, who joins the B ...

''. It was confirmed that Stacey will return to ''EastEnders'' once filming has finished.

Postpartum psychosis

On 7 December 2015, it was announced that Stacey would give birth at Christmas 2015 and would suffer from

, a storyline that would continue into "the beginning of 2016 as we explore Stacey's bipolar disorder and its effects on her and those closest to her." The storyline ran from December 2015 to February 2016. Executive Producer

described the storyline as an opportunity to "look at what we are doing as a country to help mothers experiencing this" and also an opportunity to allow Turner to get "her teeth into a really intense storyline." He added: 'We have always had a big commitment to Stacey's story and this time we want to explore the effects of postpartum psychosis on those with bipolar – something which, although a rare illness, is unfortunately more common when mothers with bipolar give birth – and look at what we are doing as a country to help mothers experiencing this.' Clare Dolman, Bipolar UK's vice chair, said: 'As the national charity supporting people with bipolar, we’ve been glad to work closely with the BBC on Stacey's storyline. There is a very high risk that women with bipolar will become ill when they have a child and 20%–25% of them will have a postpartum psychosis so it's fantastic that EastEnders are raising awareness of this devastating condition.' The show worked with charities Bipolar UK and Mind to develop the storyline.

Custody battle and first maternity leave

On 25 February 2019, it was announced that Turner was pregnant with her first child and would be taking

, temporarily departing the soap during the year. James Bye, who portrays Stacey's husband Martin Fowler, teased that Stacey's exit would be "dramatic" and "a slightly different exit to what the audience may be expecting", while

, who portrays

, added that her departure would be "explosive". Producers created a custody battle storyline for Stacey, Martin and Kush as part of the character's temporary departure from the series. The story also incorporates a feud between Stacey and her cousin

(

), which

Jon Sen Jon Sen (born 9 October 1974) is a British television and film director, writer and producer. After working as the executive producer of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2018 to 2022, Sen began working as the executive producer of the BBC ...

, the show's

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

, teased would demonstrate Turner and Wallace "at their finest". On the new story, Laura-Jayne Tyler of ''

Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly magazine published in the United Kingdom, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas in the United Kingdom, including '' Coronation Street'', ''Doctors'', ''EastEnders'', ''Emmerdal ...

'' opined that Turner was unconventionally not "winding down" before her maternity leave. When Stacey learns about Kush's plans to apply for joint custody of their son

(Hunter Bell) from Kat, she goes "ballistic" and Kat realises she has made an error. A show insider explained that Stacey does not want Kush to have legal rights over Arthur and is annoyed that Kat did not inform her. Stacey's discovery leads to a confrontation between Stacey and Martin and Kush and Kat on the market. The insider told ''Inside Soap'' Kate White that Kat is empathic towards Stacey, but when Stacey starts berating Kat, she returns the insults. They commented, "The problem with Slater fights is that they get nasty – and by the end of this, no one is speaking to anyone!" Turner explained that both Stacey and Kat are "headstrong" and "will not back down". Stacey then exiles Kat from the family, creating a "horrible and uncomfortable atmosphere" for the remaining family members. Turner stated that Stacey feels "betrayed" by Kat siding with Kush as they have been through so much together. Writers developed the story by having Kush and Stacey involve legal services. A show insider found the story "daft" and noted that if the family could share custody of Arthur before, why has it become "such a big issue"? They added that the group "need their heads knocking together!" Turner told Tyler (''Inside Soap'') that Stacey is prepared to go to court to fight for Arthur because "there's othingshe wouldn't do for her kids". Kush struggles to pay for his legal fees, so Kat offers to help him by using the stolen money she received from her husband,

Alfie Moon Alfie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005. He returned to ''EastEnders'' on 21 September 2010, following th ...

(

Shane Richie Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is a British actor, comedian, television presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the charac ...

). However, when Kat goes to collect the money, she discovers it missing and calls a family meeting to discuss it. Stacey then "blows her top" when she realises how Kat wishes to use the money. As Kat continues to search for the money, Stacey reveals that she took the money out of fear that Kat would give it to Kush. The character is also written into another story as she becomes jealous of Max's new relationship with her friend

(

), which ''

Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...

'' reporter Caroline Westbrook and ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'' reporter Johnathon Hughes expected to play into Turner's temporary departure. Turner explained that Stacey is surprised to find Max and Ruby together and would not have paired them together, although the actress liked the pairing and thought it made "a great twist". The story also revisits Stacey's feelings for Max, despite her marriage to Martin. Turner noted that despite being secure in her future with Martin, Stacey will "always have a connection with Max", stemming from their past together. The plot was teased in a promotional trailer, released on 15 July 2019.

On 11 July 2019, it was reported that

(

) would be attacked and "left for dead" in an upcoming story, with the assailant not revealed until transmission. Phil's son, Ben Mitchell (

), and secret love rival,

Keanu Taylor The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

( Danny Walters), were set up as the main suspects for the attack. Daniel Kilkelly of ''

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

'' listed Stacey as a potential assailant and thought it would be a good resolution to the character's feud with Kat and a "handy option" for writing Stacey out of the show. Producers made Stacey the attacker and the twist led to Turner's departure from the soap. In the episode, Stacey knocks Phil out with a spanner after witnessing him in a physical fight with Martin, who was protecting Kat. Turner explained that Stacey attacks Phil in a "blind panic" after spotting Martin in danger and is in "complete shock" afterwards, not processing what happens until she returns home. Ben discovers the situation and takes control, telling Stacey, Martin and Kat to leave. At home, Stacey decides to flee Walford with her children, which allows Turner to leave for maternity leave. The actress believed Stacey's decision stems from her history with the police, and added that she is "petrified" and thinks it is "her only option". Martin decides to go with Stacey, which surprises her. Turner explained that Stacey thought she was protecting Martin by leaving him, but his "true love for Stacey" is showcased as he decides to leave too. On Stacey and Martin's departure, Turner commented, "For now, Walford isn't safe for any of them so that's why they had to vanish." The character departs in episode 5965, originally broadcast on 2 August 2019. Turner reprised the role for a single episode during her maternity leave and filmed her scenes in August 2019. Stacey returns for a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...

in episode 6014, originally broadcast on 28 October 2019. In her return, Stacey meets Martin in a hotel, where he ends their marriage after Ben threatens to hurt Stacey and their children. Turner made another cameo appearance in episode 6118, originally broadcast on 26 May 2020. In the appearance, her voice was heard speaking to Kush over the phone about Arthur and Jean. On 30 June 2020, it was reported that Turner had returned to filming alongside Wallace, who had been suspended earlier in the year, marking the actress' full-time return after her maternity leave. Turner's return to filming coincided with the soap's return to filming following a break due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, and Stacey returns in episode 6133, originally broadcast on 21 September 2020, two weeks after the soap's return to transmission. The narrative states that away from the show, Stacey enters a short relationship with

(Chris Charles), which ends before the government-enforced lockdown. She decides to return after the lockdown, but has been in contact with Kat, who has informed her about Martin's new relationship with Ruby. The relationship features heavily in Stacey's return plot. Turner told Sophie Dainty of ''Digital Spy'' that Stacey views Martin and Ruby's relationship as "a bit of a joke" and thinks he is "there for the money". She added that Stacey is annoyed with Ruby because she is "supposed to be her best friend". The actress did not expect their friendship to recover quickly, dubbing it "bitter" with no "way out". Discussing her character's relationship with Martin, Turner explained that Stacey is still in love with him and would reconcile with him if he wished to. Despite this, the actress noted, "But in true Stacey style, she will just put on a front and pretend she doesn't care."

Second maternity leave

Turner's second maternity leave was announced on 21 September 2020, prior to Stacey's return from the actress' first maternity leave. It was revealed that she would take a six-month break from the soap. Speaking to Annabel Zammit from '' OK!'' magazine, Turner pledged her devotion to staying with ''EastEnders'' and said that she hoped to remain there until she was 90-years-old. The actress received criticism from fans for leaving so soon after her first maternity leave. She was surprised by the comments, but took it as a compliment to her character. Turner gave birth to her son on 3 February 2021, a month before his due date. She had not finished filming on ''EastEnders'' and had two days left before going on maternity leave. Turner spoke with show bosses and informed them that she would be happy to film her exit scenes the following week. She praised them for accommodating to her availability. Stacey departs in episode 6247, originally broadcast on 1 April 2021. Her exit story sees her being imprisoned for attacking Ruby, which she did not do. Despite efforts from Martin, Jean and Lily to change her mind, Ruby continues with her claim and Stacey pleads guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence. Scenes following the character's exit revealed that Stacey had been sentenced to one-year imprisonment. Turner confirmed that she would return to filming in August 2021. On 29 August 2021, senior

Kate Oates Kate Oates (born 1979 or 1980) is a British television producer, who was born in Nottingham and graduated from Warwick University. She began her career working as a researcher and editorial assistant for Germaine Greer, before becoming a script ...

teased Stacey's return revealing that it would tie in with Lytton's upcoming exit from the series. On 30 August 2021, it was announced that

had joined the cast as Stacey's "tough-as-nails" prison cellmate

. Eve arrives in Walford following Stacey's release and clashes with Stacey's family and friends. Executive producer Sen looked forward to exploring Stacey and Eve's relationship, while Peace expressed her joy at working with Turner. On their connection, she commented, "We immediately got on and sparked off each other which makes going to work easy and fun." On 4 September 2021, it was confirmed that Turner would make a

for one episode. It was also later confirmed on 14 September 2021 that she would make a second cameo appearance. Stacey returned in episode 6343, originally broadcast on 16 September 2021 and again in episode 6345, originally broadcast on 20 September 2021, as Jean visits her in prison to tell her about Ruby's prison sentence and that she does not have cancer, as she had thought. Stacey returned full time in episode 6365, originally broadcast on 25 October 2021, as she is released from prison.

Reception

Stacey has been proven very popular with fans and has been well received by critics. Kris Green from entertainment website

responded to Shelley's 2009 article by saying "With hereditary connections and strong environmental conditions linked to the advancement of bipolar disorder, it's not surprising that Stacey, the daughter of Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) — a long-suffering manic depressive — has developed the same disorder. ..Granted, the 21-year-old shoulders a fair whack of the programme, but this material is pushing her acting abilities to unseen levels. Lacey's one of the BBC soap's finest actresses and to be handed a story with scenes as powerful as those in last Tuesday's episode must be nothing short of a privilege. The subject matter, however, may be difficult and the portrayal of the condition quite probably more so. It's a given that Stacey's a superb specimen and one of the best female characters in soapland, but quite how the plot is doing the actress a disservice, I'll never know." According to MDF The BiPolar Organisation, calls made by young people to their helplines doubled in six months since the on-screen onset of Stacey's illness. The Bipolar Disorder Research Network also announced an increase in visitors to its website. Between her introduction to the series in 2004 and the announcement of her departure on 29 April 2010, Turner won a total of 28 awards for her portrayal of Stacey. In 2005, she won best newcomer at the TV Quick Awards, and in 2006 she was awarded best actress at the

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named Stacey and Bradley as one of "Soaps' sexiest couples". In February 2011, the love triangle storyline between Stacey, Ryan and Janine was nominated in the "Best Love Triangle" category at the All About Soap Bubble Awards. Stacey's departure was nominated for 'Best Exit' at the 2011 British Soap Awards. In August 2017, Turner was longlisted for Best Actress at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards. She did not progress to the viewer-voted shortlist. Turner's portrayal of Stacey during the postpartum psychosis storyline earned her much praise from viewers with many commenting that Turner's acting was 'Oscar-worthy.' Turner's acting also won her multiple awards including 'Best Actress' and 'Best Female Dramatic Performance' at the 2016 British Soap Awards. At the same ceremony, Stacey's postpartum psychosis won the award for 'Best Storyline.' A reporter writing for the '' Inside Soap Yearbook 2017'' (a review of the year 2016 in British soap) named Stacey's postpartum psychosis storyline as one of the "best bits of January".

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Slater, Stacey Fictional market stallholders Fictional murderers Television characters introduced in 2004 Fictional characters with bipolar disorder Fictional bartenders Fictional salespeople Fictional hairdressers Fictional attempted suicides Fictional characters with psychiatric disorders Child characters in television Female characters in television Beale family (EastEnders) Fictional nannies Fictional victims of sexual assault Fictional prisoners and detainees Teenage characters in television Fictional criminals in soap operas