Inside EastEnders star Steve McFadden’s life worlds away from Phil Mitchell with 5 kids, famous ex and £2 selfie charge
EASTENDERS legend Steve McFadden is one of the soap's most recognisable characters.
The actor, 64, has played hard-man Phil Mitchell for more than three decades and even found himself at the centre of one of EastEnders' biggest ever storylines.
In 2001, Phil was shot outside his home after amassing a number of enemies in Albert Square and the nation was gripped by the 'Who Shot Phil?' plot.
A month later, the UK almost came to a standstill as his ex Lisa Shaw (played by Lucy Benjamin) was revealed as the person who'd pulled the trigger.
Bookmakers claimed more than 50,000 bets were placed on the suspects and the Liverpool and Barcelona UEFA Cup semi-final was even postponed for 15 minutes to accommodate a special 40 minute EastEnders episode.
Steve was already dating his co-star Lucy when the storyline aired and they continued as a couple until 2003.
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But despite his very prominent appearance on BBC1, Steve leads a very private life away from the cameras.
Steve is a doting dad to five children, who he has welcomed over the years with four different women.
In 2016, the soap star was seen out and about in the sunshine with his youngest child.
He and his girlfriend Karen Cairns had only welcomed their daughter Frankie just days earlier and Steve was spotted pushing the then-newborn in a black pram.
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A source at the time admitted Frankie's arrival had been a "surprise", but said: "Steve and Karen are both over the moon with little Frankie. Her pregnancy did come as a surprise, but now they are both happy.”
Phil has been married four times.
His eldest child is son Matt, 37, who he had with Sue Marshall.
Steve also has daughters Teona, 26, and Mollie Jane, 19, with Angela Bostock, and Amelie Tinkerbell, 14, with Rachel Sidwell.
The actor reportedly split from Rachel just two months after their daughter Amelie was born in 2009.
When he hasn't got his hands full with his brood, Steve enjoys a spot of sailing - and he previously built himself the world's first hybrid Botnia Targa 25.
In 2018, he gave a tour of his boat and revealed his love of being out on the water was sparked as a child.
He told the magazine: "I got my first taste of the sea at around ten years old in Chichester, crewing for friends and family aboard Moody motor sailors, and that introduced me to the sailing world. I was sailing at Cowes aged about 12."
Given his high profile role in EastEnders, Steve is believed to be one of the soap's biggest earners.
It is thought he takes home around £300,000 working for the BBC soap.
Yet as a side hustle Steve has previously flogged selfies for just £2.
Several years ago, he embarked on a tour of UK nightclubs and was charging punters £5 a pop.
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But during an appearance at MooMoo in Fleet, Hants, club bosses lowered the going rate to just two quid.
The event was billed as "one huge Saturday night".
