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Steve Owen 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. ...

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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 ...

'', played by

Martin Kemp Martin John Kemp (born 10 October 1961) is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in ''EastEnders''. He is the younger brother of Gary Kemp, who is also a ...

. He first appeared onscreen from 28 December 1998 and remained in the series until 1 March 2002. Introduced by series producer Matthew Robinson, the character Steve was a shady businessman who originally came into

Albert Square 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 ...

to buy the local Market Cellar club – which he then renovated and later renamed the E20. He soon became one of the show's primary

villains A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

when the character's first major storyline saw Steve murder his old flame Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor) during the opening night of his E20 nightclub on

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

1999, after which he ended up framing his DJ employee Matthew Rose (

Joe Absolom Joe Absolom (born 16 December 1978) is an English actor known for his roles as Matthew Rose in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' and Al Large in the ITV comedy drama ''Doc Martin''. Early life Absolom was born in Lewisham, London. A former pu ...

) for the crime. The eventual episode in which Matthew enacted revenge on Steve drew in outstanding viewing figures and brought a storyline that had gripped the nation to a close. Afterwards, Steve embarked on a dangerous feud with his arch nemesis:

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 ...

). The ensuing conflict between them grew intensifying as Steve later became sworn enemies with Phil's best-friend-turned-hardman adversary,

Dan Sullivan Dan, Danny, or Daniel Sullivan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Daniel J. Sullivan (born 1940), American film and theater director * Daniel G. Sullivan, American screenwriter * Dan Sullivan (musician), indie rock musician * Dan Panic, Amer ...

(

Craig Fairbrass Craig John Fairbrass (born 15 January 1964) is an English actor, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his roles as Delmar in the thriller film ''Cliffhanger'' (1993), Dan Sullivan in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1999–2001), ...

), which had continued to develop in the case of both Dan and Phil having respective connections to Steve's girlfriend and future wife:

Mel Healy 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 ...

(

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 ...

). Additionally, Steve contributed to his significant interaction with other members of the

Mitchell family The Mitchell family is a fictional family in ''EastEnders''. They were first introduced in February 1990, when brothers Phil ( Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) bought the local garage – the Arches. Their sister Sam (Danniella ...

by establishing an antagonistic business partnership with Phil's brother

Grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...

(

Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He is also known for his other roles as Graham Lodsworth in ' ...

); sleeping with their younger sister Sam (

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 '' ...

); employing the siblings' cousin, Billy (

Perry Fenwick Perry Fenwick (born 29 May 1962) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Billy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role which he has played since 1998. Career Television Fenwick's first regular television ro ...

), to work for him as his errand boy; clashing with Phil's adolescent godson

Jamie Jamie is a unisex name. It is a diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names. It is also given as a name in its own right. People Female * Jamie Anne Allman (born 1977), American actress * Jamie Babbit (born 1970), American film and te ...

( Jack Ryder); and sparking a quarrel with the family's matriarch, Peggy (

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.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 ...

called

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 ...

. In 2001, the character was involved in the "

Who Shot Phil? "Who Shot Phil?" was a storyline of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' which began on 1 March 2001 and climaxed on 5 April 2001. Background The storyline centred around one of ''EastEnders longest-running characters, Phil Mitchell (played by Ste ...

" storyline when he became a prime suspect. The

whodunit A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the cl ...

scenario began with Steve marrying Mel on the day of Phil's shooting and ultimately concluded with Dan kidnapping Mel for ransom against both Steve and Phil, after the pair had worked together to implicate Dan behind the shooting – even though the culprit was earlier revealed to be Phil's ex-girlfriend and Mel's closest companion: Lisa Shaw (

Lucy Benjamin Lucy Benjamin (born Lucy Jane Baker; 25 June 1970) is an English actress. After appearing in various television series including '' Close to Home'' (1989–1990), ''Press Gang'' (1989–1993) and ''Jupiter Moon'' (1990, 1996), she was cast in ...

). Martin Kemp soon quit the series after his contract to the show had expired, and his final scenes were aired on 1 March 2002 – the first anniversary of both Steve's wedding and Phil's shooting. In that episode, Steve made a last-ditch attempt to settle his score with Phil by fleeing the country and starting anew in America with his and Lisa's infant daughter

Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

— which triggered a fierce car chase between the two archenemies that ended with Steve being killed after he crashed his car and consequently died in a vehicle explosion, though not before he helped Phil save Louise in his last moments; the character's funeral aired on 11 March 2002 and his onscreen wife Mel later departed a month later on 12 April that year in light of Steve's death. It was thereafter alleged that producers had intentionally killed-off Steve as "revenge" for Martin Kemp leaving the show to make the transition from the

...
to rival station

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

. Nevertheless, Kemp received multiple award nominations and victories for his critically-acclaimed portrayal of Steve Owen.

Storylines

Steve Owen made his first appearance in

Albert_Square_ 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_...

,_before_renovating_the_premises_and_then_renaming_it_the__E20;_Steve_thereafter_sets_up_his_new_club's_opening_date_on_Valentine's_Day_ Valentine's_Day,_also_called_Saint_Valentine's_Day_or_the_Feast_of_Saint_Valentine,_is_celebrated_annually_on_February_14._It_originated_as_a_Christian_feast_day_honoring_one_or_two_early_Christian_martyrs_named_Saint_Valentine_and,_throu_...
_in_the_coming_new_year. While_making_preparations_for_the_opening_night_of_his_E20_nightclub,_Steve_romantically_bonds_with_Mel_Healy_ 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_...
_(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_had_recently_moved_into_the_square._Their_relationship_becomes_threatened,_however,_when_Steve's_former_girlfriend__Saskia_Duncan_(Deborah_Sheridan-Taylor)_unexpectedly_turns_up_and_tries_to_come_between_them_on_numerous_occasions._She_soon_entraps_Steve_by_sleeping_with_him_and_then_making_sure_that_Mel_and_everyone_else_knows_about_it._Steve_later_pays_Saskia_to_leave_Walford_and_never_bother_him_again._On_the_opening_night_of_his_E20_nightclub,_however,_Saskia_confronts_Steve_in_his_office_and_it_soon_alleges_that_she_had_previously_aborted_their_unborn_child_because_of_him;_with_Steve_clarifying_in_his_argument_with_Saskia_that_he_didn't_want_them_to_have_a_baby._Saskia,_blaming_Steve_for_her_abortion,_vows_to_make_him_suffer_and_attacks_Steve_after_he_is_unable_to_get_her_out_of_the_club._She_hits_Steve_on_the_head_with_a_champagne_bottle_and_then_tries_to_strangle_him_with_his_tie._Moments_later,_Steve's_DJ_employee__Matthew_Rose_(Joe_Absolom_ Joe_Absolom_(born_16_December_1978)_is_an_English_actor_known_for_his_roles_as__Matthew_Rose_in_the_BBC_soap_opera_''_EastEnders''_and_Al_Large_in_the_ITV_comedy_drama_''Doc_Martin''. _Early_life Absolom_was_born_in_Lewisham,_London._A_former_pu_...
)_walks_in_on_the_situation_and_attempts_to_help_Steve_–_which_only_prompts_Saskia_to_go_for_Matthew_until_Steve_attempts_to_get_her_off_him_and_she_again_proceeds_to_strangle_him_with_his_tie_once_more._On_the_verge_of_being_strangled_to_death_and_in_self-defence_in_English_law.html" "title="alford in December 1998. He buys the Market Cellar club in the borough's local community,

, before renovating the premises and then renaming it the E20; Steve thereafter sets up his new club's opening date on

in the coming new year. While making preparations for the opening night of his E20 nightclub, Steve romantically bonds with

(

) — who had recently moved into the square. Their relationship becomes threatened, however, when Steve's former girlfriend Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor) unexpectedly turns up and tries to come between them on numerous occasions. She soon entraps Steve by sleeping with him and then making sure that Mel and everyone else knows about it. Steve later pays Saskia to leave Walford and never bother him again. On the opening night of his E20 nightclub, however, Saskia confronts Steve in his office and it soon alleges that she had previously aborted their unborn child because of him; with Steve clarifying in his argument with Saskia that he didn't want them to have a baby. Saskia, blaming Steve for her abortion, vows to make him suffer and attacks Steve after he is unable to get her out of the club. She hits Steve on the head with a champagne bottle and then tries to strangle him with his tie. Moments later, Steve's DJ employee Matthew Rose (

) walks in on the situation and attempts to help Steve – which only prompts Saskia to go for Matthew until Steve attempts to get her off him and she again proceeds to strangle him with his tie once more. On the verge of being strangled to death and in self-defence in English law">self-defence Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...
, Steve picks up a heavy marble ashtray and hits her over the head with it – killing her instantly. Matthew tries to call the police when it becomes clear to him and his boss that Saskia is dead, but Steve stops him and instead forces Matthew to cover-up her death by burying her body to Epping Forest. For the next few months, Steve torments Matthew is his newfound resolve to keep his DJ employee in check regarding the event of Saskia's death. This continues when Saskia's corpse is discovered months later, and Matthew later confines to his girlfriend

Teresa di Marco The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 1998, by order of first appearance. Lola Christie Lola Christie is played by Diane Parish. Lola was introduced as a love interest for Mick Mc ...

(

Leila Birch Leila Birch (born 1978) is an English actress, known for portraying Teresa di Marco in ''EastEnders''. Background Birch grew up in South East London. She is of British, Italian and Irish descent. She trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Thea ...

) about the incident. They later attempt to abscond the country for a fresh start together, but Steve discovers their plan and catches up to them. The police are soon called in when Matthew, nervous and shaken about his witnessing to the crime, confesses to the police about the incident; he and Steve are later charged for

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...

and

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th cen ...

in relation to Saskia's murder. In the build-up to their jointed trial, Steve and Matthew are both remanded in custody and they hostility grows from that point onwards. Steve also receives a number of visits from his sister Jackie (

Race Davies Race Davies (born 10 August 1962 in Moglabazar, Sylhet, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), is a British actress and artist. She played Jackie Owen in ''EastEnders'' from 1999 to 2000. Her first television appearance was in ''The Bill'' in 1988. In ...

) as well as updates on the E20 management from Teresa's brother Beppe ( Michael Greco), who has gone into partnership with Steve after losing his job as a police officer, while Matthew gains support from local resident

Mark Fowler Mark Fowler is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Mark, an original regular character when the series started in February 1985, became a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro was written out of the ...

(

Todd Carty Todd Carty also known as Todd John Jennings (born Todd Robert Carty; 31 August 1963) is an English actor and director who has grown up on television screens in a variety of roles. His stage appearances have ranged from pantomime to serious dram ...

) over his innocence behind Saskia's murder. After Steve and Matthew each give their statements about the circumstances behind Saskia's death, the trial ends with the pair receiving different verdicts on the manslaughter charge after both are found not guilty of murder; Steve is fully acquitted from his manslaughter charge while Matthew is found guilty of manslaughter and later sentenced to seven years in prison. Steve later attempt to settle his freedom in the square once more, but he finds himself publicly ostracized around the community for framing Matthew behind the crime – up to the point when Matthew's friend

Robbie Jackson Robbie Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Dean Gaffney. The character was introduced in 1993, but axed in 2003 by executive producer Louise Berridge. He made brief returns in 2004 and 2010 for two ...

(

Dean Gaffney Dean Martin Gaffney (born 14 February 1978) is an English actor, known for his role as Robbie Jackson on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1993 to 2003 and 2017 to 2019; he also made guest appearances in 2004, 2010 and 2015. In 2006, he ...

) constantly brands him a "murderer" while both Mark and his close friend,

Dot Cotton 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 ...

(

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 ...

), lecture him for his supposed lack of responsibility. When Steve attempts to have a drink in

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 ...

and nearly all the pundits begin to turn on him, he confronts them for the way how they've been treating him and describes how he killed Saskia in self-defense and that Matthew was never meant to get involved in the first place. Beppe, who is one of the few people to stand by Steve following the latter's trial, promptly buys a drink for Steve as everyone begins to realize that Steve's murder of Saskia was really in self-defense. He was also to be involved in the who shot Phil as the shooter In the events between Saskia's murder and his subsequent trial over her death, Steve instigates a conflict with two of the square's local hardmen called the "Mitchell Brothers" — up to the point where he gradually becomes archenemies with the eldest brother,

(

), and constantly antagonizes his sibling

(

) in the course of their business partnership. In the latter case, Steve repeatedly clashes with Grant when the two work together with illegitimate businesswoman

Annie Palmer Annie Palmer is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nadia Sawalha, from 6 May 1997 to 10 June 1999. Storylines When Annie arrived in Albert Square in 1997, she is believed to be a former business associate ...

(

Nadia Sawalha Nadia Sawalha (; born 18 November 1964) is a British actress, television personality and YouTuber. She played the role of Annie Palmer on the BBC One soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 1997 to 1999 and Gina in ITV comedy Second Thoughts from 1992 ...

) in her bid to carry out her expansion plans around the square; with Annie managing the businesses that her entrepreneurial father,

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

(Paul Moriarty), has assigned her to takeover on his behalf. As the trio begin managing the square's local gym, Steve infiltrates Grant and Annie by hiring staff without either of their consent. This continues when Grant throws out one of the guests for causing trouble, and it turns out that the troublemaker is one of Steve's visitors. Steve later attempts to have Grant fired for not taking his orders seriously, but Grant instead quits and the business ends up floundering – which causes Annie to leave the square for good and sell his remaining share of her ownership to Grant. Later on, Steve confronts Grant just as the latter is preparing to join Phil on a criminal job and declares that they have "unfinished business" over their broken partnership. In a sarcastic remark "Oh yeah, so we haven't?", Grant punches Steve before leaving to do the job with Phil. This would be the last time Steve sees Grant, as the latter's heist with Phil ends with the Mitchell Brothers driving their getaway car into the River Thames and Grant is presumed dead; he is later revealed to be alive and ends up leaving the country to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

in Brazil with his daughter

Courtney Courtney is a name of Old French origin, introduced into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It has two quite distinct interpretations: firstly, the surname may be locational, from places called Courtenay in the regions of Loiret and Gât ...

. Following Grant's departure, Steve turns his attention to Phil for the management of his business. He later joins the Mitchell Brothers' younger sister, Sam (

Danniella Westbrook Danniella Westbrook (born 5 November 1973) is an English actress, best known for originally playing Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off from 1990 to 2000 and 2009 to 2016. Away from ''EastEnders'', she has presented var ...

), on a trip to

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

with Mel alongside Mark and two other guests: Sam's ex-husband

Ricky Butcher Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in ''EastEnders''. Owen originally left the ro ...

(

Sid Owen Sid Owen (born David Sutton; 12 January 1972) is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off since 1988. He also appeared in the tenth series of ''Strict ...

) and his troublesome sister Janine (

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 ...

). During the trip, Steve seeks to reconcile with Mel even when she is set to marry Phil's stepson

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 ...

(

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 ...

) after her relationship with Steve ended due to the Saskia impact. However, Mel soon recoups her relationship with Steve after she dumps Ian for discovering that he lied to her and the square about his little daughter

Lucy Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Lu ...

(Casey Anne Rothery) dying of cancer when in actuality she had been fine all along. During the Millennium Eve ceremony on New Year's Eve 1999, Steve is surprised to see Matthew in the midst of celebrations; Matthew's conviction has been quashed on appeal and because of his good behaviour over the course of his wrongful imprisonment. For the next month in early 2000, Steve grows paranoid when Matthew alleges that he intents to settle his score with his former boss for good. This eventually culminates with the two having a showdown on the week before the first anniversary of Saskia's death. Matthew confronts Steve and attempts to blackmail him into giving him £10,000 as compensation for what he put him through over the incident. Steve initially refuses, but seemingly relents after Matthew presents the extent of his work to get revenge on Steve as well as explaining all of its cover-up – thus ensuring that Steve cannot establish proof to anything that Matthew has done against him ever since they crossed paths on New Year's Eve 1999. Steve then brandishes a handgun and tries to intimidate Matthew, only to learn that the DJ employee had earlier removed all the bullets from his handgun. When Steve attempts to attack Matthew, he gets knocked out and held captive in his chair. Matthew then claims to have killed Saskia's sister Claudia Fielding (Romla Walker), to which Steve at first dismisses until he is later presented with evidence that appears to not only claim otherwise – but also implicates Steve behind the crime in the same manner as he previously entrapped Matthew as the perpetrator behind Saskia's death. As Steve breaks down over how the situation has caught up with him, Matthew proceeds to chuck petrol over him and threatens to incinerate him. It is at this point that Steve is reduced to a desperate, helpless wreck as he tries to reason with Matthew. His pleas, however, fall on deaf ears when Matthew refuses to listen to Steve and prepares to set fire to the E20 – even when Teresa and Jackie arrive to try and also reason with him. Matthew then drops the light on the petrol, but nothing happens apart from Steve screaming out in fear. Matthew then reveals to Steve that the "petrol" is actually water and that Claudia was never dead or even involved in his plan in the first place, as well as the fact that he just wanted to show Steve up for what he really is. With his revenge against Steve fulfilled, Matthew takes the £10,000 and leaves the E20 after bidding farewell to Teresa; he soon leaves the square and is never heard or seen ever again in Walford. After enduring the full extent of Matthew's revenge, Steve becomes depressed and ends up getting himself addicted to drugs. He takes up the advice of Ricky and Janine's stepmother,

Pat Butcher Pat Evans (also Beale, Harris, Wicks and Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. She was played by Pam St Clement from 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired, until her departure on 1 January ...

(

Pam St Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from June 1986 until January 2012, with a gu ...

), to leave the square for a while to overcome his drug addiction. As Steve embarks on his temporary leave from the square, Jackie joins him after failing to mend her broken relationship with Beppe and Teresa's brother

Gianni Gianni is an Italian name (occasionally a surname), a short form of the Italian Giovanni and a cognate of John meaning God is gracious. Gianni is the most common diminutive of Giovanni in Italian. People with this given name * Gianni Agnelli (i ...

(

Marc Bannerman Marc Bannerman (born 15 August 1973) is an Irish-born British actor. He played Gianni di Marco in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. His character was introduced in 1998, but was written out three years later by the executive producer of ''East ...

); she does not return to Walford afterwards and is never seen again. By then, Mel has begun romancing Phil's best-friend and business partner

(

). This soon ends, however, after Mel tells Phil that Dan had secretly reported him to the police for operating a motor scam with his stepfather

Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...

( Mike Reid) and their colleague

Roy Evans Roy Quentin Echlin Evans (born 4 October 1948) is an English former footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool. He eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become the team manager. While predominantly plyi ...

(

Tony Caunter Anthony Patrick Caunter (born 22 September 1937) is a Retired British actor best known for his role as Jack Shepherd in the Yorkshire TV sitcom '' Queenie's Castle'' and also his portrayal of Roy Evans in ''EastEnders'' from 1994 to 2003. The ...

). On the night after Phil swindled Dan's ownership of the Queen Vic, Steve returns to the square upon overcoming his addiction and witnesses Dan threatening Mel. He soon intervenes and threatens Dan, who then leaves just as Steve begins to comfort Mel over her ordeal. When the situation continues as Dan begins to harass Mel with threatening phone calls and even breaking into her house at one point, Steve summons Phil's cousin Billy (

) and orders him to locate Dan's whereabouts; Billy had been working for Steve ever since Grant left the square and in Steve's bid to challenge Phil in their business competition. Billy soon learns where Dan is, and Steve goes to confront him in his flat. Dan is at first unfazed by Steve's threat into leaving Walford, but Steve changes his mind by brandishing his handgun and threatening to kill Dan unless he calls Mel to apologize; Dan complies and he seemingly leaves the square for good. Afterwards, Steve informs Mel that Dan has been taken care off and that he won't be bothering her again. When Phil learns that Steve had forced Dan to leave the square, the two rivals call a truce and they later work together in some businesses around the square. Their potential friendship quickly reverts into a two-man feud when Phil persuades Beppe to sell him his share of the E20 club without Steve's consent. When Steve asserts that Mel is partly to blame after noticing the quality time she and Phil have been spending time together, he confronts her about it in the pub until Phil tells him to back off. When Steve dismisses his threats, Phil punches him and the two end up having a brutal fight that ends with Phil forcing Steve out of the pub and Steve promising retaliation. Steve later apologizes to Mel after Christmas Day 2000 and soon proposes to her, which she gladly accepts. However, Steve is unaware that Mel had a one-night stand with Phil on Christmas Day. They nevertheless begin planning their wedding in early 2001, which becomes further complicated when Dan returns to the square. Steve discovers this after finding Dan overpowering Billy in his office, and he orders Billy to leave before turning his attention to Dan. It is at this point that Steve and Dan have formed a rivalry in the ensuing course of their respective feuds with Phil himself. This is proven when Dan tells Steve that his reasons for coming back to square are to deal with Phil, to which Steve dismisses by reminding Dan of the last warning he gave him and again threatens him should he ever come in between him and Mel again. Dan then warns Steve to not let Mel "take him for a mug" just as she allegedly did to him and Ian, before offering him a handshake. Steve rejects this and threateningly tells Dan to get out of his office, which prompts Dan to tell Steve that he'll regret telling him that before leaving. By the time Steve's wedding to Mel has emerged, his suspicions about her and Phil prompt him to secretly record a conversation between them – which Steve remotely overhears by using his phone. Steve's suspicions are eventually confirmed when Phil tells Mel to admit that she enjoyed sleeping with him, and she reluctantly responds to this as Steve listens through. On the day of their wedding, Steve becomes aggravated when Phil turns up uninvited and proceeds to woo Steve's mother Barbara (Sheila Hancock) — who herself has also turned up against Steve's expectations – by striking up a conversation with her. The situation escalates at the E20 reception, where Steve confronts Phil for getting his mother involved and Phil tauntingly mocks him in front of her and the remaining guests. Later on that night, local taxi driver Charlie Slater (

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 ...

) prepares to drive the newly-wedded couple to their honeymoon. As they begin to leave, Steve claims that he needs to check on Billy at the E20 and momentarily leaves Mel – though it becomes clear that Steve appears intent on getting revenge on Phil for the trouble he has caused him. This could've been a motive for Steve when Phil gets shot by an unseen assailant, shortly before Steve returns and proceeds to go to his holiday with Mel. When the pair return from their honeymoon, they hear about Phil's shooting and Steve is promptly implicated as the prime suspect. It soon transpires that the weapon that hospitalized Phil was Steve's handgun, which has gone missing ever since the incident occurred just at the end of Steve and Mel's wedding. Steve is later arrested when police detective

DCI Jill Marsden DCI Jill Marsden is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Sophie Stanton. She made her first appearance on 5 March 2001 investigating the shooting of Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden), which was part of the whodun ...

(

Sophie Stanton Sophie Stanton (born 1971 in London, England) is an English actress, director and playwright. She is best known for her role as DCI Jill Marsden in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in which she has appeared on and off since 2001. Career Eas ...

) and her unit gather evidence of his implication, most notably his motive for knowing about Mel sleeping with Phil on Christmas 2000. Upon hearing of this, both Phil's mother Peggy (

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.Jamie Jamie is a unisex name. It is a diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names. It is also given as a name in its own right. People Female * Jamie Anne Allman (born 1977), American actress * Jamie Babbit (born 1970), American film and te ...

( Jack Ryder) constantly accuse Steve of committing the crime. Steve insistently proclaims his innocence behind Phil's shooting and ends up clashing with Jamie on multiple occasions; at this stage, Jamie has already grown to dislike Steve since he was recently Matthew's best-friend and had previously testified against Steve for Saskia's murder. Steve later visits Phil in the hospital and threatens him should he ever use Mel to his advantage in their feud again. Later that evening, Steve receives a visit from Dan and is again confronted by Jamie moments later. When Steve tauntingly tells Jamie that Phil is a liar, Jamie punches Steve and they fight when Steve punches Jamie back. Dan breaks up the fight just as Robbie's sister

Sonia Sonia, Sonja or Sonya, a name of Greek origin meaning wisdom, may refer to: People * Sonia (name), a feminine given name (lists people named, Sonia, Sonja and Sonya) :* Sonia (actress), Indian film actress in Malayalam and Tamil films :* Sonia ...

(

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 ...

), who is also Jamie's girlfriend, intervenes as well. Jamie demands Steve to get out of the square for good, but Steve refuses and again protests his innocence. However, when Phil recovers and discharges himself from the hospital that night, Steve is indeed proven innocent when Phil ends up confronting the real culprit: his former girlfriend and Mel's best-friend, Lisa Shaw (

). Shortly after confronting Lisa and forgiving her for shooting him, as Phil had driven her to it due to his mistreatment towards her since over a year ago, Phil resolves to implicate the crime on both Steve and Dan to rid himself of his two archenemies who each threaten his position as the square's reigning top dog. He initially plans to incriminate Steve after seeing him and Mel together in the pub, but then decides to frame Dan after the latter begins extorting money from him and Jamie. When Steve learns about this from Billy, he goes to visit Phil and witnesses him finishing his meeting with Dan's former crime boss

Ritchie Stringer 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 (producer), John Yorke. The first charac ...

(

Gareth Hunt Alan Leonard Hunt (7 February 1942 – 14 March 2007), known as Gareth Hunt, was a British actor best remembered for playing footman Frederick Norton in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' and Mike Gambit in '' The New Avengers''. Early life Alan Leon ...

). That afternoon, Steve begins to taunt Phil into leaving Walford after recalling on what Dan has been doing to him and Jamie. However, Steve's mood changes when Phil reveals that his handgun – which Lisa used to shoot Phil and had kept in possession in between after Steve's wedding and before Phil's recovery – is now in Ritchie's possession as part of his plan to frame Dan, whom Steve insists Phil incriminate after assuming that Phil intents to frame him for the crime. Phil soon plans to lure Steve to The Archies the following night, despite Mel's protests. Steve goes to meet Phil there anyway, but promptly leaves after witnessing Dan holding Phil at gunpoint. Moments later, the police arrive and arrest Dan under the suspicion of shooting Phil and unlawful possession of Steve's firearm. Dan is subsequently charged for the crime and Phil soon asks Steve to help him ensure that Dan would get sent down for the shooting; Steve agrees when it becomes clear that both he and Phil would both find themselves comfortable be well-ridden of their common nemesis, as well as Mel's previous lover and tormentor. Before the events of Dan's trial, Mel alerts Steve that his mother expects a visit from him about her condition to her terminal heart disease. At first Steve doesn't want to visit Barbara and refuses to explain his reasons to Mel, but he eventually changes his mind after having a heart-to-heart with local neighbour

Natalie Price Natalie Price may refer to: * Natalie Evans Natalie Evans (also Price) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', between 18 January 1994 and 10 May 2004, played by Lucy Speed. Natalie first appeared in January 1994, depi ...

(

Lucy Speed Lucy Renee Speed (born 31 August 1976) is an English actress best known for her television roles as Natalie Evans in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1994 to 1995 and again from 1999 until 2004, and as DS Stevie Moss in the ITV police ...

) about their relationship progressions; with Natalie confining to Steve about how her past troubles have been overcome thanks to her marriage with Roy's only-son,

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...

(

Shaun Williamson Shaun Williamson (born 29 November 1965) is an English actor best known as Barry Evans in ''EastEnders'' and as a satirical version of himself in the BBC/HBO sitcom '' Extras'', 'Barry off EastEnders'. Early life Williamson was born in Park Wo ...

). Afterwards, Steve visits his mother in her flat and it quickly becomes clear that she is in critical condition due to her terminal heart disease. It is then revealed that Barbara had previously abused Steve when he was a child, and that she never appeared to care for either him or Jackie. When Steve confronts her about her past behaviour, she sarcastically defends her actions by claiming that his late father Richard had left her to bring up him and Jackie with no money. Steve reluctantly goes to call an ambulance as his mother's condition appears to escalate, but she refuses and instead demands Steve give her a kiss. Steve call an ambulance and asks him to kiss her. He gives her a peck on the forehead but she asks for a kiss on the lips. When he leans forward, she grabs him and gives him an extremely passionate kiss, telling him he is an attractive man. Disgusted and traumatized, Steve furiously disowns his mother and leaves after calling her sick. Mel is later informed that Barbara has died and tells Steve about it, but he reacts indifferently and refuses to attend her funeral; Mel later ends up going to the funeral on her own. She subsequently confronts Steve for his callousness over his mother's death, but then sympathizes with her husband when he is forced to explain how his mother neglected and abused him during his childhood. Following his mother's funeral, Steve proceeds to contribute with Phil's plot and gives false evidence in his own testimony against Dan; however, the plan ends unsuccessfully when Dan is found not guilty by the jury in his verdict. Dan is later released and, assuming that Steve was the one who shot Phil and that the pair have conspired to get him sent to prison, resolves to get revenge on his two arch-rivals. His first act is to force Billy into giving him leverage over Steve and Phil. When Dan threatens to hurt Billy, the latter reluctantly exposes Phil's one-night stand with Mel and this causes Dan to realize that Mel is the link between Steve and Phil's rivalry. Dan later kidnaps Mel and proceeds to hold her ransom in an abandoned flat. When Steve learns about this from Dan in a taunting phone call, he alerts Phil and the two form an uneasy alliance to save Mel from their enemy. Soon enough, Dan contacts Steve and demands that both he and Phil deliver £100,000 each to him in exchange for Mel's safety – up to the point where he even threatens her life in a bid to get his two rivals to compel to his demand. After the pair manage to obtain the £200,000, Steve and Phil argue about who will be exchanging the money for Mel and whether Dan needs to be taken down – with Steve just wanting Mel to come home safe while Phil is determined to finish things with Dan to stop him from making lives harder for them as well as Jamie and Peggy themselves. Just as Steve goes to deliver the money, however, Dan calls Phil and orders him – not Steve – to make the exchange for Mel. In compliance, Phil takes the money and goes to the flat where Dan is holding Mel captive to make the exchange on his own. There, he momentarily disarms Dan and prepares to kill him; however, he fails when Dan ends up overpowering Phil after Mel causes a distraction. Dan then flees Walford with his £200,000 ransom money, but not after he drops Mel off near the square and she thereupon returns to Steve at his house. Although Steve is relieved that Mel has been unharmed throughout her ordeal with Dan, she later confronts her husband about all the things that Dan told her while he was holding her captive; Mel had learned from Dan that Steve had cheated on her amid the events of his mother's funeral, as he slept with Karen – which Billy later found out about and was forced to tell Dan when the latter had extorted leverage from him against Steve and Phil. Furthermore, she discovers that Steve had secretly bought the pub from Phil's ex-lover

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 Ju ...

(

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 ...

) without ever consulting to his wife about it. When Steve is unable to assert her suspicions, he is forced to admit his lies to Mel and the two get into a heated argument when she confronts him about it. Steve attempts to use his mother's death as an excuse, but Mel points out his callousness in reaction to her death and threatens to divorce him. She also accuses Steve of shooting Phil and framing Dan for the crime, having already realized that Dan was telling the truth about his innocence behind Phil's shooting. In his subsequent rebuttal, Steve tells Mel that she still owns half of the E20 and further states that he just bankrupted himself by paying Dan the ransom money he demanded from him and Phil. Later that evening, Steve approaches Phil to seek help with providing him by reinstating his share of The Queen Vic; Phil refuses and Steve promises that he will pay for crossing him before leaving the pub. At the same time, Mel goes to see Billy at the E20 to know more about Steve's affair with Karen. He unsuccessfully tries to vouch for Steve's innocence and ends up giving Mel an unintended contraction about her ownership of the E20. When she promptly questions Billy about this, Mel discovers from her husband's safe that Steve had actually settled earlier paperwork where he owns the entire nightclub – thus meaning that Steve had lied to his wife once again. Outraged by the extent of Steve's deception, Mel retaliates against her husband by burning down his club and then chucking her wedding ring at Steve; she then departs Walford to clear her mind over Steve's deceit and lies. In light of Dan's revenge and Mel's departure, Steve ends up having financial problems; his insurance policy is invalidated due to the fact that he neglected to mention his involvement in both Saskia's death and a previous crime where he attempted to cut costs by illegally importing duty-free wines from France. To sort out his monetary difficulties, he organises a robbery to help finance the renovation of the club and arranges for some of old friends to partake in the job; Steve reluctantly invites Billy into the heist as well. After assembling his crew and making preparations, Steve plans to steal money from a wealthy businessman named Alan. During the heist, Steve attempts to trap Alan's mistress

Jan Sherwood Jan Sherwood (born c.1923) is an American actress mostly known for her work on the stage. She made her Broadway debut in 1944 as Marpha in ''The Day Will Come''. In 1950 she returned to Broadway to portray the Lady in Waiting to Katharine Hepbu ...

(

Cherie Lunghi Cherie Mary Lunghi (born 4 April 1952) is an English film, television, and theatre actress, known for her roles in many British TV dramas. Her international fame stems from her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film ''Excalibur''. Her long list of ...

) and they end up having a one-night stand together; Steve and Jan split the money that was stolen, fooling Steve's gang into believing Jan had taken it all. Afterwards, Steve gives Billy his share from the job and tracks down Mel in his plan to win her back. This nearly fails as Mel begins to date Barry's half-brother Nathan Williams ( Doug Allen) upon returning to Walford, but Steve successfully ends up wooing Mel. It is at this point that Steve and Phil have escalated their own rivalry with each other. By the time 2002 has emerged, Steve infuriates Phil by pretending that he slept with Sharon while they were recouped their old relationship. Phil responds by attacking Steve and ends up getting arrested, up to the point where he is charged for assault. In retaliation, Phil forces Billy to plant drugs in Steve's club and Steve is in turn arrested – though he is released without charge. Steve then pays Jamie to smash the Queen Vic after learning that his companionship with Phil had deteriorated. Later on, Steve further antagonizes Phil by sleeping with Sam (now played by

). When Phil learns about the heist Steve perpetuated a couple of months ago, he arranges for Steve to be confronted by the same people who he owes money to. Steve instead plans for him and Mel to leave Walford and start anew in the United States together. She agrees and the couple subsequently invite both Lisa and Mark, who have are now engaged ever since Lisa ended her relationship with Phil, to join them – before Steve later convinces Lisa to also take her and Phil's infant daughter,

(Rachel Cox), along with their trip. On the day of the first anniversary to both Steve's wedding and Phil's shooting, trouble emerges when Mark is unable to go due to his HIV condition and Lisa believes the plan is falling apart. When Steve plans to tie-up his loose ends to put his escape plan into motion, he convinces Mel to look after Lisa while he heads off. However, Phil soon discovers the plan and calls Steve to demand that he return Louise to him; Steve refuses and taunts Phil before hanging up. After confronting Mel over her ex-husband's whereabouts, Phil catches up to Steve and the two engage in an intense vehicular car chase that ends with Steve – just as he attempts to answer Mel's phone call – crashing into a wall after a tire bursts from his car, which ends up colliding into a parked motorbike; this instantly totals his car and triggers a fire. When Phil arrives in that moment, Steve helps him rescue Louise by passing the baby to Phil – who then rushes her to safety just as Steve finds himself unable to get out of the car. Steve then repeatedly calls Phil out to save him when it becomes clear that his car is about to explode. Phil eventually relents after a moment of hesitation and he begins to rush back to save Steve from his burning car, but it was too late as the vehicle suddenly explodes in a fireball – killing Steve as a result; Phil, having failed to reach Steve in time, is forced to watch the explosion occur before he takes Louise back to the Square and Steve's reign of terror at Walford is finally over. During her offscreen time away from Walford, Mel ends up giving birth to Steve's child – which turns out to be a boy and she thereupon names her son

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

. Over a decade later in 2018, Hunter (played by Charlie Winter) is introduced to Walford when Mel returns to the square with him. It thereupon discloses that Hunter, who displays similar tendencies to his father. However, he soon discovers the truth about the extent of his father's infamous reputation from Mel's mob boss

Ciara Maguire 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 ...

(Denise McCormack) after she ends up colluding with Phil against Ciara's ex-husband Aidan (

Patrick Bergin Patrick Connolly Bergin (born 4 February 1951) is an Irish actor and singer perhaps best known for his leading role opposite Julia Roberts in '' Sleeping with the Enemy'' (1991), the title character in Robin Hood (1991 film), terrorist Kevin ...

). Soon enough, Hunter ends up dating Louise (now played by

Tilly Keeper Matilda Elizabeth Keeper (born 16 August 1997) is an English actress, known for her role as Louise Mitchell on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Shortly after leaving the soap, Keeper appeared in the BBC film ''Make Me Famous'' and has since ...

) and their relationship leads him to discover the events behind their own father's car chase; Phil later describes the events of Steve's death to Hunter, who soon resolves to helping Mel reopen the E20 in tribute to the father that he never got to know about. In 2019, Steve's first and last crimes are separately recounted when Hunter kills Mel's new husband Ray Kelly (

Sean Mahon Seán Mahon is an Irish stage and screen actor. He is known for playing Nicky Giblin in the Broadway production of '' The Seafarer'', Richard Hannay in the Broadway production of ''The 39 Steps'' and Michael Hess (the lost son) in the award-winni ...

) for trying to murder her – which sparks the events of his arrest and subsequent death when he commits a siege at the Queen Vic whilst seeking revenge on his mother's subsequent fiancée,

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 ...

(

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 ...

), for being involved in his own imprisonment; Hunter's siege results in him shooting Louise's brother

Ben Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, ...

(Max Bowden) and then her boyfriend

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), before he then nearly shoots Louise until he is fatally gunned down by a marked policeman. Two months later after her son's death, Mel ends up getting killed in a road collision at the climax of her car chase with Sharon – who was married to Phil throughout that point. Ironically, Mel's death mirrors Steve's own demise from his car chase with Phil 17 years prior.

Development

Relationship with Mel Healy

In an interview in June 2000, Kemp discussed the relationship between Steve and Mel: "Steve's convinced Mel will make his life complete. She kept him going during all the bad times and now he's determined to have her. It's true of a lot of guys who get into trouble, they hang their hat on one idea and that keeps them sane ..there's a driving force that kept them going while they were n prison And often that's a woman. You know from those tender moments when Mel came to visit Steve n prisonthat she was the thing that kept him going, and he won't stop til he gets her back." Eventually the couple were shown to marry in the soap in March 2001, despite a revelation that Mel had strayed with Steve's nemesis

(

). Tamzin Outhwaite explained, "With Ian, Mel was the one who didn't want to go through with it. This time around Mel is the one who is apprehensive, hoping Steve will be there for her. If he isn't, she has no reason to stay in Walford. This really is make or break time for her." The wedding night was a precursor to one of the soap's most publicised storylines, ''

'', where Phil was gunned down by an unknown assailant and, due to Mel's infidelity, Steve became one of the prime suspects for the murder attempt, though he transpired to be a

red herring A red herring is a figurative expression referring to a logical fallacy in which a clue or piece of information is or is intended to be misleading, or distracting from the actual question. Red herring may also refer to: Animals * Red herring (fis ...

. Discussing Mel and Steve's wedding, Outhwaite said, "Even though this wedding with Steve has got as much controversy as Mel's last one ith Ian it feels more true. The characters seem more suited and it's not a big, white wedding, it's a low-key register office thing." 17 million viewers watched the wedding. In August 2001, ''EastEnders'' began airing a 4th weekly episode. The storyline to mark the occasion centered around Mel, her husband Steve, his archenemy Phil, and their common nemesis

(

). After Phil and Steve wrongfully framed Dan for Phil's shooting, Dan sought revenge by kidnapping Mel and demanding a ransom. An ''EastEnders'' insider reportedly told the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...

'', "This has eenone of the most dramatic storylines we have ever filmed. Dan has vowed to get even with Phil and Steve for framing him over the shooting. Kidnapping Mel kills two birds with one stone. Although Mel and Phil have had their differences, he still harbors feelings for her." As part of the storyline, Outhwaite, as Mel, was tied up to a radiator in a council flat. Outhwaite commented, "They offered to untie my wrists between scenes, but I said no so I could feel what it was really like. My wrists were raw by the end of it and I was exhausted, but that was the challenge I wanted."

Departure

On 26 July 2001, it was announced that Kemp had decided to leave ''EastEnders'' and that he was to move from the BBC to rival station

. He said of his decision: "I have had a wonderful time at ''EastEnders'' and I will be very sad to leave, but I feel that its time to move on." It was reported that ''EastEnders'' producers decided to kill off his character as "revenge" for how the situation was handled. In 2006, Kemp ruled out a return to the show, saying he stayed for too long. However, in 2009, he expressed a wish to return, saying "Working on ''EastEnders'' was the best job I ever had. I want the producers to ring me up and get me back on the show. Steve was blown up, but I could come back as his evil twin!" He also said he was happy that he had a dramatic exit.

Reception

Kemp's portrayal of Steve saw him nominated for several awards, many of which he won. He won in the "Most Popular Actor" category at the 2000

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 ...

and was nominated again the next year. He won "Best Actor" at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards in 2001 and "Best Soap Actor" at the

TV Quick Awards ''TV Choice'' is a British weekly TV listings magazine published by H. Bauer Publishing, the UK subsidiary of family-run German company Bauer Media Group.The 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 given ...

, he was nominated for "Best Actor" and the character for "Villain of the Year" in 1999, winning the latter in 2000. He went on to win "Best Actor" at the 2001 and 2002 ceremonies. Additionally, Steve's car crash was nominated for "Spectacular Scene of the Year" and "Best Exit" in 2002.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Steve EastEnders characters Fictional bartenders Fictional murderers Fictional businesspeople Fictional criminals in soap operas Television characters introduced in 1998 Male villains Fictional gangsters Fictional prisoners and detainees Male characters in television