EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell is always having a turbulent time in Albert Square, but it’s a very different story for actor Steve McFadden who prefers life away from any drama

EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell has seen more than his fair share of drama since we first met him in Albert Square way back in 19990.

But, away from Walford, 65 year old actor Steve McFadden, who plays iconic hardman Phil, leads a far more quite life.

Steve is a proud dad to five children, who were born to four different women. His eldest son Matthew was born in 1986, during Steve’s marriage to his childhood sweetheart, Sue Marshall, reports the Mirror. Sadly their romance didn’t continue, and they parted ways.

After rekindling his relationship with former love Angela Bostock, Steve became a father to his two oldest daughters, Teona and Mollie Jane, who were born in 1997 and 2004 respectively.

He also dated co-star Lucy Benjamin, who played Lisa Fowler in the BBC One soap. Their past romance doesn’t seem to have left any scars, as Lucy has admitted they still share a great working dynamic. On an episode of Loose Women in 2017, Lucy shared fondly, “It was strange really, but lovely to be working with Steve, Tish, and Natalie Cassidy again. It was just like being with mates. They have been doing fabulous work and I knew that they would look after me and have my back upon my return.”

In 2009, the arrival of Amelie Tinkerbell marked Steve’s fourth child, born amidst his relationship with Dr Rachel Sidwell. Whilst the Maida Vale local usually maintains a low profile about his personal affairs, the birth of Amelie prompted some rare open remarks about fatherhood.

He expressed immense joy in an interview with OK!, beaming, “I’m happier now than I’ve ever been. I can’t wait to start having more now. The day she was born was one of the greatest of my life.”

Fast forward to 2016, and Steve welcomed his youngest daughter Frankie into the world, much to the delight of him and partner Karen Cairns. Labelled a delightful “surprise” by a source speaking to The Sun, Steve and Karen were reported as ecstatic, saying: “Steve and Karen are both over the moon with little Frankie. Her pregnancy did come as a surprise, but now they are both really happy.”