EastEnders' Phil Mitchell looks unrecognisable with hair in early days as Phil

06 October 2023 , 09:40

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EastEnders' Phil Mitchell looks unrecognisable with hair in early days as Phil

Fans of EastEnders have become used to seeing Phil Mitchell with a bald head and burly physique as it suits his image of a hardman.

But when he first burst on to our screens in 1990 as one half of the Mitchell brothers, Steve McFadden, 64, cut a completely different appearance as he sported a full head of hair. Unlike now, Steve had a full head of mousy blonde hair which seemed to compliment his short but rugged facial hair, which he still has to this day. But it hasn't just been Steve's image that has kept viewers entertained for more than 30 years on the BBC soap, so too has his incredible storylines.

Steve McFadden looks completely different in his early days with a full head of hair (RADA)

Steve McFadden plays hardman Phil Mitchell in EastEnders (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

One of the most memorable plots that Steve was involved in was the affair with his brother Grant's wife Sharon, played by Letitia Dean. Their romantic liason was exposed after Grant, played by Ross Kemp, found a tape recording of Sharon talking about Phil to her best friend Michelle Fowler.

And many years later, viewers then saw Phil spiral into alcohol addiction and they witnessed his struggles in trying desperately to overcome his need for booze. And lets not forget the "Who Shot Phil?" storyline. There were many episodes leading up to the point where viewers found out who was guilty, and this episode was watched by 22 million viewers.

The unrecognisable pictures of Steve come after Ross Kemp revealed throwback pictures of himself shortly after leaving drama school. Ross, 59, showed off the fact that he had a lot of dark brown hair unlike the appearance we have grown used to. Since joining EastEnders, Ross has always been follicly challenged as the hardman Grant Mitchell.

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He first announceced that he was leaving in 1999 but over the years he would make a brief return. His last appearance as Grant was in 2016 when he returned for the death of his on-screen mother Peggy Michell, who was played by the late Barbara Windsor.

And Steve is set to make an exit in the next few weeks after landing a role in Jack And The Beanstalk at Dunstable's Grove Theatre. It remains unsure how Steve's absence will be fed into his storyline.

But away from the cameras, Steve recently had his own drama to contend with after recieving a fine for speeding. Last year he was fined £580 and had five points on his driving licence as he was nearly twice the speed limit on his Piaggio moped.

Steve was doing 35mph in a 20mph zone when he was pulled over by a police officer who had a mobile speed gun as he drove nearby his London home in Hampstead, on October 7. He pleaded guilty to committing the offence at Bromley Magistrate's court. And because of his guilty plea, Steve was ordered to pay £440, £100 in costs and £44 in victim surcharge.

Lucretia Munro