It soon transpires one of Phil's neighbours, Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood), is out for revenge against his family because he believes that Phil's father Eric had murdered his own father, Henry, many years earlier. Sharon returns two months later without Phil and she informs Michelle that they have bought a holiday apartment in Italy and that he regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous. You can also catch up on BBC iPlayer now. Phil and Grant make peace but things between them are not the same. Phil finds Louise but she tells him to leave. A spokesperson for the show said "Lisa Fowler was a major part of Phil's life she knows him as well as anyone, so she won't be happy about him looking after his daughter. However, Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald) tells Phil that she thinks her father, Max, killed Lucy, so Phil punches Max and hopes Ben will be released. Phil kidnaps Ian on the day of Max's trial so he cannot testify, and then kidnaps Carl once Max is acquitted. It's his history". After the disappearance of Keanu, due to him faking his death, the Mitchells and Taylors think that Keanu is dead. The hospital is located on Elwell Road. [41] In 2011 McFadden was nominated for 'Best Actor' at the British Soap Awards 2011 for playing Phil. Soon afterwards, Phil recoups his alcoholism upon struggling to cope with his turbulent relationships with Stella and Suzy up to the point where he nearly takes his frustrations out of Ben. His bullying of Ian Beale is often done as a means of deriving pleasure. Writer Jacquetta May, who once played Rachel Kominski in the show, evaluated the episode in an article about social realism, education and the moral messages within EastEnders storylines, commenting: "The episode blames his destructiveness on the 'male' response to self-hate: violence. His solicitor, Ritchie Scott (Sian Webber), tells him that Ben could face a minimum of 10 years in prison. Ben finds a solicitor's letter of Phil's that mentions Raymond and after confronting Phil, Phil tells Ben that Raymond is his half-brother. Unable to stop her legally, Kate agrees; however, Phil discovers this and his marriage with Kate ends after he refuses to forgive her for costing him Louise. A furious Ben tries to suffocate Phil but is stopped by Sharon. Shirley confronts Carl about his actions, and she mysteriously disappears after this, though her friends believe she has gone to Greece as she had planned. Dan later seeks revenge on Phil and Steve. Towards the end of September 2003, Dennis and Sharon are reunited with their father Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) who returns to the square after 14 years, when he had supposedly been shot dead on Dalton's orders. This prompts Phil to confront Ian once more, forcing him to object to the relationship instead. Dennis is killed in the boat crash. However, it ends when Sharon's painkiller addiction puts Lexi in danger. [9] Equally the ceaseless degradation of Lisa showed a particularly malicious side to the character. When Ronnie discovers her gun was used after Shirley stole it, Ronnie asks Jay and Ben to dispose of it. Phil along with Grant was voted as the second most popular King of Soaps in a Channel 4 poll in 2002. She agrees but changes her mind and telephones Steve, asking him to return Louise. Later, Louise goes to Walford to tell the family that Phil is in hospital with a damaged liver. Within minutes, the pub is ablaze and the roof collapses on Phil. This prompts Archie to confront Phil over his behaviour. Ben, who has been blackmailing Martin Fowler, agrees to destroy evidence for him if he kills Keanu for the Mitchells, Martin agrees and Louise helps set Keanu up. The Broadcasting Standards Commission upheld 31 complaints from viewers, saying that the scenes were too strong for a programme shown before the 9pm watershed. This prompts Phil to finally reveal the true circumstances of how Dennis died on New Year's Eve 2005, explaining how he is the reason Dennis attacked Johnny, prior to the latter having him killed. They name the business Kat's Cabs. Phil refuses to speak at Ronnie and Roxy's funeral, but changes his mind after Michelle (now played by Jenna Russell) speaks to him. Not even Phil knows who shot him. Unaware of Phil's role in her attack, Sharon accepts. Unaware that he is being set up, Dan holds Phil at gunpoint demanding money until he is arrested for attempted murder. Louise realises Lisa is not taking her medication. After resolving matters with Grant and securing Jake's safety from exposed as a killer following the discovery of Danny's death, Phil resumes life with his family and Sharon. Jay has a visit from his police public protection officer, who says Jay will have to move out as Louise is underage. [18] A spokesman commented "The cast are only getting their own scripts. Louise confides in Phil about her guilt of leaving Lisa when she was ill and she rubbishes Phil's belief he is a bad father. Mel, however, realizes it was a mistake and reconciles with Steve Owen (Martin Kemp), making Phil jealous. Horrified at this, Steve and Mel ask Lisa and Louise to emigrate to California with them. One of the most notable and popular early storylines involving Phil was a love triangle between him, his brother and his brother's wife Sharon (played by Letitia Dean). [48] One reporter commented "Formerly the milder-mannered sibling, Phil has gone from Abel to Cain without an intervening period of plausibility. [44], In 2016, McFadden was honoured at The British Soap Awards when he was awarded "Outstanding Achievement' for his portrayal of Phil. EastEnders ist eine britische Fernsehserie der BBC, deren erste Folge am 19.Februar 1985 ausgestrahlt wurde. Phil is stunned when he realizes that Mick is in fact Shirley's son, who she had at fourteen, subsequently raised by Shirley's parents as their son, without Mick ever discovering the truth. She knows how much he fought for custody, for contact and how important it was for him to see his children. However, it is later revealed that Archie's killer was in fact his rape victim Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner); this was discovered just moments after her husband Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) fell to his death whilst on the run from the police, which Phil had witnessed in the midst of celebrating Ricky and Bianca's second wedding. Ronnie vows to help Phil regain his sobriety and allows him to move in with her and Honey once he is discharged from hospital, but the drinking continues. He pressures Phil into blaming Sharon for their affair and Grant forces her to leave Walford. In exchange for Sharon not telling the police about Bobby killing Lucy, Phil agrees with Ian that Ian will take the blame for causing the crash. [26] In the storyline, Phil gains custody of Louise after she is dropped off in Walford by an unseen person, however, Peggy eventually returns Louise to Lisa after Phil punches his mother in the face. Later, Ben tells Phil that he will donate part of his liver. (Picture: BBC) Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden) is desperate to ensure that Raymond Dawkins knows who . EASTENDERS fans could see Phil Mitchell get his comeuppance and be locked up as Sharon Watts' guilt over Ian Beale could get the better of her. Sharon, Kathy and Shirley go to the hospital to find out that Phil discharged himself. A scene in which Phil beat his godson Jamie was criticised for being too realistic by TV watchdogs. Depressed, Phil embarks on a sexual relationship with drug addict Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks) and begins to use crack cocaine developing an addiction. Phil shouts at a struggling Lisa as Louise deteriorates and Lisa and Louise go to hospital together. Shortly before the events of Dan's trial and Mel's kidnapping, Sharon returns to the square; she reconciles with Phil and they run The Queen Vic together. Afterwards, Phil makes amends with Ben and the two support Archie when he and Peggy plan to get married. Realizing he drove her to it, Phil gradually forgives Lisa and instead decides to frame Dan upon learning that he has been extorting money from his godson Jamie (Jack Ryder) whom Phil had taken under his wing to spare him from being further abused by his legal guardian and uncle, Billy (Perry Fenwick). Carl is unfazed by Phil's threats for retribution and gloats that he has contacts inside prison who can harm Ben if Phil does anything to him. [3] Sharon and Grant's reconciliation is brief, and amidst more rowing and physical violence, Grant is arrested and imprisoned. [38], In addition the character has been praised for being good value, realistic, consistent within his character and convincing. Days later, he coughs up blood and is taken to hospital. Phil was originally depicted as the thinker and the more streetwise of the pair, often bailing his more spontaneous brother out of trouble, although later plotlines drove the character down a darker, more destructive route. Various key characters were in the frame for the deed and viewers were left guessing for weeks as to which of them was the real culprit. In February 2020, Keanu returns to the square and captures Ben's boyfriend, Callum Highway (Tony Clay), demanding 100,000 for his freedom. When Billy uses his job as Johnny's nightclub to discover CCTV footage of Chrissie confessing Den's murder to her boyfriend Jake Moon (Joel Beckett) and Johnny's henchman from an earlier night, Billy informs Phil who goes to confront Johnny without Grant's consent. After a bumping into a 'pregnant' Abi, she lies to Ben that she lost the baby she never had. Walford General Hospital is the nearest hospital for the residents of Walford. Phil comes to believe that the father is in fact Jack. After comforting Sharon when she lashes out at Johnny in the wake of Dennis' funeral, Phil promises to avenge his death. Sharon and Phil have sex but she stays with Grant, who is unaware of their betrayal. He has been off screen for months as he recovers from his liver transplant in Italy. In doing so, the two share a conversation about how they were respectively abused by their fathers with Phil confining to Archie about to extent of how Eric treated him, before Archie explains that both he and Eric were mistreated by their father prior to his death; which Archie claims to be the "best thing that happened to him". The Queen Vic have won a boat party, which the residents of Walford attend. In 2021, Phil has been helping Sharon, Sharon wants to rekindle their relationship but Phil is unsure. Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Beale Letitia Dean as Sharon Watts James Bye as Martin Fowler Steve McFadden as. However, after seemingly having a deal sorted with Mick, Phil is beaten to the sale by Sharon and Ian. Initially, Phil was calmer than Grant but both brothers had a sense of physical danger, displaying stereotypical masculinity, thuggish behaviour and a tendency to resolve problems through violence. [35], During a period of heavy media criticism aimed at EastEnders throughout 2004 and 2005, the characterwho was on a hiatus from the showwas reintroduced twice in what was branded by the press as a bid to "boost flagging Enders. This progressively helps Phil, up to the point where it manages to reveal the basis of his problem the physical abuse he received from his late father, Eric (George Russo)[6] because she was pregnant with their son Phil (Steve McFadden) when he was a boy, and his fear that he may abuse Ben. Storylines featuring the Mitchell family dominated the soap opera throughout the 1990s, with Phil serving as one of the show's central characters and protagonist villains since the 1990s. After discovering Aidan has been tormenting Mick and his family, Phil punches Aidan and shows him evidence that he killed Luke which forces Aidan to leave Walford for good. His shape, skills in stage fighting and a variety of sports including boxing, football and karate made him an ideal choice to play one of Walford's latest "tough-men. Following the supposed death of Kathy and her husband Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicholas) earlier on, Ben returns to England and moves in with Ian much to Phil's surprise. Phil's most prominent storylines include his battles with alcoholism and addiction; suffering from cirrhosis of the liver; various criminal dealings; having an affair with Grant's wife Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) a storyline popularly dubbed "Sharongate"; a failed marriage to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth); a longstanding rivalry with his tormented stepson and Kathy's eldest child, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt); sparking numerous feuds; relationship problems; seeking to avenge the death of Sharon's adoptive brother and later husband Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman) by confronting his gangland killer, Johnny Allen (Billy Murray), in the "Get Johnny Week" storyline; becoming a prime suspect in the murder of his uncle Archie (Larry Lamb) (see "Who Killed Archie? Later, Phil is knocked unconscious when the exposed gas line explodes during the Walford in Bloom event but he is unharmed. In Tuesday's upcoming episode, the gangster, played by Steve McFadden, will get new . [50] Additionally, the show was criticised for turning the brothers into a comical farce by incorporating uncharacteristic humour into their dialect, which was described as "cringeworthy". At the hospital, Phil demands to see his son, but Sharon gets him and Denise to talk calmly. Phil tells Kathy of Luke's identity and he warns Luke to stay away from Ben, which backfires as Luke tells Ben about Phil's threat. Distracted, Phil crashes the car, and Dennis is badly injured. Phil and Ben later spend time together and they slowly bond, eventually leading to Ben moving in with Phil. "[28][29], McFadden decided to lose weight for the storyline by going on a crash diet, saying that food would not be one of Phil's priorities. By Lauren Williams 09:33, Tue, Aug 24, 2021 . Phil and Kat later buy the launderette and convert the back of it into a taxi rank, as a legacy for both their children. The study reported that much group discussion centred on the Alcoholics Anonymous group scene, which was, for the most part, seen as an accurate depiction of an AA group therapy session. Synopsis. Phil is later reunited with a dying Peggy. Phil prepares to kill Carl, but Carl implies that he caused harm to Shirley. "[36] His first return in April 2005 was generally well-received, with media comments such as "the excellent, bug-eyed Steve McFadden proves nobody does psychotic thug better than him" and "McFadden's blistering performance on Tuesday defies that old clich of a soap being bigger than its stars". Phil's one of the most iconic characters in the EastEnders cast 2022 (Credit: BBC) Phil Mitchell, played by Steve McFadden. [15] In an interview with The Guardian McFadden commented on his alter ego's descent into villainy "Phil's been had over by a lot of people, so now he feels like he can do it back. "[26] Phil also loses his son Ben (Charlie Jones), who makes a temporary departure from the show in order for the part to be recast. Lisa plans to take Louise, going to Liverpool Street station. Before Sharon leaves, she tells Phil that he is the father of Lisa's daughter Louise (Rachel Cox) not Mark, as she had earlier claimed. Eventually, Phil feels guilty about the crash and drinks alcohol again. Several outcomes were allegedly filmed[17] and it was reported that only a few TV executives knew the identity of the would-be assassin even the actors were kept in the dark. However, Martin cannot go through with it so he and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) help Keanu fake his death and escape abroad with a new identity. Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden. However, Phil is surprised when the pub's new owner turns out to be Shirley's brother Mick Carter (Danny Dyer). [30], The character continues to be featured heavily in high-profile storylines which have included various feuds, police enquiries, armed robbery, kidnapping, numerous affairs and relationship problems and an ongoing plot concentrating on the character's struggles to bond with his children. After blackmailing Billy into telling him that Mel slept with Phil before she married Steve on the night of the shooting, Dan kidnaps Mel and alerts both Phil and Steve about this threatening to kill her unless they pay him 200,000. He later tells Billy that Lola will never get Lexi back, which Lola overhears. Phil was one of the major characters introduced by executive producer Michael Ferguson, who wanted to bring in some macho male leads. Phil Mitchell begins 2022 in turmoil as the mechanic takes drastic action to go on the run in EastEnders.. The next day, Sharon tells Phil that Ronnie and Roxy have died in the hotel swimming pool which devastates Phil.