What happened to Steven Beale on EastEnders as mum Cindy returns to the Square
Cindy Beale has made a shocking return to Albert Square leaving her fellow EastEnders residents completely speechless in the process.
The character, played by Michelle Collins, had been away from the Square for 25 years after reportedly dying during childbirth while in prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to murder. The character has a long-established history on the soap, with six children, two stepsons, a grandson, and two granddaughters, in the show and storylines spanning decades since her introduction back in May 1988. But one of her sons, Steven, is no longer around to welcome her back to the Square.
Early years - 1989-2002
Steven was the adopted son of Ian Beale after Cindy's supposed death in prison (BBC)Steven was the son of Cindy and Simon Wicks, who was last seen on the soap back in 2012. At the time of Steven's birth, Cindy was married to Ian Beale, and she went out of her way to try and convince Ian that he was Steven's father.
The truth eventually came out and Cindy and Simon left the Square together in December 1990, but Cindy and her son returned only a couple of years later and reunited with Ian, who raised Steven as his own. It was during this stint on the soap that he is embroiled in a bitter custody battle between Cindy and Ian, which is finally resolved with Cindy keeping custody of her son - only to be arrested the same day.
After Cindy is sent to prison and supposedly dies in childbirth, Steven alone attends her mother's "funeral" and stays with Ian and various different step-mothers. After his relationship with Ian breaks down, Steven leaves the Square once again in 2002 to go and live with dad Simon in Auckland, New Zealand.
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Returning to the Square - 2007-2008
Steven found himself in a psychiatric ward after kidnapping Ian and attempting to kill him (SHARED CONTENT UNIT)The character is then away from the Square for five years, returning in 2007 and begins stalking Ian and pretending to be his "late" wife Cindy. After luring Ian to an empty block of flats, he then takes his adoptive dad hostage.
During this time, he tells Ian that he blames his adoptive dad for his mother's imprisonment and death, as well as being angry that he didn't try to retrieve him from New Zealand. He also admitted that his experience living with Simon was not a happy one, instead felt rejected and in the way.
After Ian is freed, Steven is admitted to a psychiatric hospital following a suicide attempt, but he quickly goes off his medication when he's released. Ian tried to force him to leave Walford despite Steven's attempts at apologising, with Ian humiliating his adopted son - going as far as breaking a snow globe he had given Steven when he was younger right in front of him.
Ian's hostile behaviour left him depressed and he attempted suicide once again by dousing himself in petrol - only to be stopped by Stacey Slater. When Ian finds out what Steven plans to do, he reconciles with him - much to the displeasure of Ian's then-wife Jane Collins.
In 2008, Steven leaves the Square for a third time after attempting to kill grandmother Pat Butcher after she found out he was hiding Ian's runaway daughter, Lucy, from him. Despite Steven booking a ticket for her on the Eurostar, Ian convinces Lucy to stay and Steven flees.
Ian then spots Steven spying on Lucy and confronts him - admitting he's glad Steven is not his biological son and that if he ever returns to Albert Square, he will kill him. Devastated, he leaves Walford and moves back to New Zealand.
Steven returns to repair the damage - 2016-2017
Steven's return to the Square saw his relationship develop with Lauren Branning - only to have an affair with her sister, Abi (SHARED CONTENT UNIT)In 2016, Steven returned for his final stint on the soap. With Jane in the hospital after being attacked by Bobby Beale - who also confessed to killing Lucy - Steven returns to Albert Square.
Steven is again rejected by Ian but warms up to him after explaining he wants to repair the damage he made in the past and offers to drive Ian to the hospital to see Jane. Ian eventually accepts him back into the family, but Jane is wary of him.
Trying to help Ian's struggling financial situation, he arranges the burglary of Ian's restaurant - with the kitchen equipment being sold to pay debts. However, Steven starts stealing money from the restaurant, which is discovered by Jane when she finds out they are paying money to a fake company.
After discovering Steven had set up the company, she confronted him, and Steven admitted he was borrowing the money to help Peter Beale - who was drinking heavily and getting into fights at the time. It was then that his relationship with Lauren Branning became difficult, with Lauren wanting to focus on her career rather than settle down with Steven.
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But Lauren then begins an affair with Josh Hemmings, who worked in her father's office, with Steven having one with Lauren's sister, Abi Branning, at the same time. Despite the affair, Steven says he wants to stay with Lauren, who has already admitted to Josh that she doesn't love Steven.
The lead-up to Steven's death
Steven fought with Jane before setting fire to Ian's restaurant (BBC / Kieron McCarron)Things come to a head when Abi persuades Lauren to move to New Zealand, resigning from her job and planning to end her relationship with Steven. When he finds out about her plan, he hits his head against a wall causing it to bleed.
Desperately trying to stop Lauren from leaving, he tells her the injury is from him trying to remove a brain tumour - claiming he has cancer and is dying. Abi discovers the truth but decides not to tell Lauren after Steven says he wants to leave Lauren and be with her - only for him to propose to Lauren at the Queen Vic.
Lauren leaves Walford to think about her relationship with Steven, while Lauren's dad, Max Branning, confronts him about his lie. He tells him he will keep the lie a secret from Lauren if he sets fire to a flat to evict some clients from his property.
Despite things going wrong and some uncertainty over whether the occupants left the building, they did manage to exit the flat. However, after Ian's wife Jane finds out about the flat fire and Steven's brain tumour lie, Max convinces Steven that Jane is trying to get rid of him.
Steven confronts Jane, who tries to reason with him and reveals that Abi is pregnant with his child, but Steven refuses to believe her and berates her about framing Max for Lucy's murder. He sets fire to Ian's restaurant, leaving Jane behind to perish in the flames.
However, upon learning that Lauren may be trapped inside, Steven and Max rush back in, with Steven instead finding Abi inside after attempting to save Jane herself. Max then tries to convince Steven to kill Jane, but refuses and then tries to save her.
Max violently shoves Steven onto the countertop, causing Steven to be rushed to hospital - telling Abi he loves her and wants to make their relationship work before suffering a cardiac arrest and dying from his injuries. Steven's lies are then revealed, as well as his cause of death being injuries to his liver caused by Max's push.
Abi is the only one who attends his funeral and reads a eulogy dedicated to him. Abi later gives birth to Steven's baby after a fall off the roof of the Queen Vic with her sister, Lauren. Abi, however, suffers brain stem death and dies after life-support is turned off.
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