Stella Crawford

Infobox EastEnders character 2


character_name=Stella Crawford
actor_name=Sophie Thompson
creator=Brigie de Courcy
years=2006–2007
first=7 September 2006
last=23 July 2007
status=Deceased
occupation=Lawyer
husband=Unknown|it says so on EastEnders web.
father= Edward Crawford
mother= Marion Crawford
sisters= Catherine Crawford

Stella Crawford was a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera "EastEnders". She was played by Sophie Thompson. She left the show on 20 July 2007.

Character creation

Stella was created solely as a love interest for the character Phil Mitchell. When Steve McFadden, who plays Phil, returned to the show in October 2005, a story conference was held between the show's producers, who decided that his relationship with his son Ben would take priority over any new love interests. Another story conference was held in February 2006, where it was decided to introduce a new love interest. "EastEnders"' series story producer, Brigie de Courcy, said; "To create her, we took all of Phil's past lovers and came up with somebody completely different from them!"cite news
title = The story of a kiss!
work = Inside Soap
date = Issue 45, 11 November 2006]

Producers created a "wish list" of actresses they wanted to see. The "EastEnders" casting director offered the role to Sophie Thompson, who accepted. Producers were so excited that the whole office cheered when they found out that Thompson had accepted the role. Thompson has said of the role that "joining "EastEnders" is a bit like being welcomed into a really special playground that you never thought you had the chance to play in, and you are rather in awe of all the kids, but very excited." [" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5221790.stm Actress Thompson joins Eastenders] " "BBC". URL last accessed 2007-04-22]

Personality

When she was first introduced Stella appeared to be a scatterbrained but well-meaning character who lived on her own and had developed something of a drinking problem when Phil first met her. She dryly comments on this, saying "You're getting a basic picture of a spinster here aren't you? You're probably wondering if I've got any cats." However, as the show went on and her relationship with Phil's son, Ben, was explored, it became clear that Stella was a deranged and mentally unstable character, who psychologically and physically abused Ben whilst manipulating him in her attempts to improve her relationship with his father. Supposedly, Stella's instability is a result of parental neglect. This is hinted at by her telling Ben that his friend Abi Branning was an unpleasant and untrustworthy person, probably as a result of poor parenting. Later in the same episode she picks up a Mother's Day picture that she did with Ben and glares at the word "Mother" before later tearing up the card. It is known that something ghastly happened to Stella's sister which her parents blamed her for however it is never revealed what happened to her or how, if at all it was Stella's fault. This is later confirmed to be true when she tells Phil Mitchell that as a child she was ignored by her parents and felt like a ghost within her own home.

Stella at times gives the impression of being emotionally immature, a frequent side-effect of parental neglect. An interview with Sophie Thompson says that Charlie Jones who plays Ben mused that her vicious nature is caused by the fact that she had a very unhappy childhood.

History

Stella was the new lawyer of local business owner Phil Mitchell, and worked alongside Ritchie Scott. Stella first appeared in September 2006 to make arrangements for Phil to buy Walford Video, the local video shop.

On 13 November, Phil needed some papers from Stella, but when she arrived at The Arches, Phil's garage, she discovered that she had left them at home. Phil sacked Stella and insulted her. Stella retaliated, saying that she wouldn't be spoken to like that.

Her car then broke down outside The Arches, and Phil told her he'd get one of his mechanics to fix it, and gave Stella a lift home. She had locked herself out, so Phil had to break the door down. She revealed that her decree absolute had come in the post that morning, and cried. Phil said he would fix the door while she found his papers. He finished his work and found Stella asleep on her sofa with the papers in her hand. He took the papers and left.

The next day, Stella arrived at Phil's pub, The Queen Victoria, to thank him for helping her out. She helped him clean up the mess his son, Ben, had made with his friend Abi Branning, whilst making an ant farm. Before Stella left, she and Phil shared a brief kiss.

They soon began dating, but Phil's former stepson, Ian Beale, warned Stella about Phil, telling her about his previous relationships. Stella tried to avoid Phil, but he tracked her down and they started dating again. On 23 November, they were out on a date, and Phil had kept his mobile phone with him in case Ben wanted to speak to him. Phil was in the toilet when Ben phoned, and Stella answered the phone. She told Ben she couldn't wait to meet him, but Ben called her a "stupid, ugly cow" and told her to leave them alone. She then left the restaurant as soon as Phil returned.

However, Phil later took Ben around to Stella's flat so that the two could meet; Ben seemed determined not to get along with Stella, but after he spilt his drink and Stella kindly made no fuss of it, he failed to warm to her.

Later, Stella moved in with Phil angering Ben even more. One day Ben tricked Stella into going to the shops. When Stella left, Ben raised the temperature on the oven causing a fire. When Stella returned she was blamed and Phil broke up with her. However, Phil realised Ben was behind the fire and Stella moved back into The Queen Vic with them. Ben later tried to delete the work on Stella's computer but he was caught in the act by Stella who then told Ben they should just be friends.

On 23 February, Stella treated Ben to a day at the London Dungeon, in an attempt to bond with him. Everything was going well and Ben apoligised for the pranks he had pulled on her in the past. Stella and Ben made up and carried on with their day, until Ben entered the house of mirrors and got lost. He called for Stella but she was nowhere to be seen, so he started to panic. Stella was hiding from Ben behind a wall, knowing that this prank would show Ben that she was the one in power, and allow them to bond further. She then came to him after a short while and when they returned home they promised not to speak of what happened.

Ben later told his friend Abi about what had happened at the London Dungeon, and she brought it up in front of Stella and Phil. The next day, Stella offered to look after Ben as he was off school with a stomach ache. She helped him make a Mothers' Day card for his grandmother Peggy. Stella then warned Ben about Abi, saying she was jealous of him and didn't really want to be his friend, but was trying to turn him against Stella. Ben believed Stella and he soon fell out with Abi, after Stella accused Abi of tearing the card, although Stella had done this herself. After this Stella showed a nasty side to her personality. When Ben apologised to Stella for the way he had behaved in the past, whilst in the kitchen, she proceeded to press a boiling hot spoon onto the back of his hand, causing him to cry, saying "Just a joke, silly... go on, do it back!".

On 26 March, Ben hid his hearing aid in order to get a day off school. However, Phil made him go to school without it, and Stella found it during the day, dropping it in a glass of half-drunken orange sqaush, breaking it, and muttering that Ben was a "little freak". When Ben was threatened by bullies at school and wet himself, Stella told him this would upset his father, and told him she would keep it from Phil if Ben showed him that he was happy all the time, thus keeping up the pretence that Stella and Ben were firm friends. The next day, Stella told Ben to stick up for himself to the bullies.

He kicked the main bully, Jez, as Stella watched, and Joseph proceeded to attack Ben. Stella remained at the gate, watching as Ben was beaten up and revelling in his torment. She then sounded the horn of her car, scaring the bullies off. She then went over to Ben, who said "you said you'd be there for me". Stella replied "It just goes to show you shouldn't believe everything people tell you. Now GET UP!"

At Lauren's birthday party Ben refused to socialise with the others there and stayed in the kitchen with Ian. Ian agreed to leave the party early with Ben but just as Ian was going out of the kitchen Ben deliberately spilt the drink he had over himself and Ian then left to ask Tanya for a spare shirt. When Ian arrived back he started to help Ben get the new shirt on and he saw Ben's bruises on his back that he gained from the bullies. After pestering Ben to tell him who did it, Ben said that it was Stella. Ian went out to the party to confront Phil and Stella, causing a shouting match between him and Phil. Phil and Ian went into the kitchen to see Ben but Phil ordered Ian to leave him and Ben alone to talk. Ben told Phil the truth that it was the bullies and that constant questioning from Ian had caused him to say Stella did it. Despite this Phil and Ian continued to argue and the noise and ruckus caused Ben to get even more frightened so he tried to escape from the back door and then hid under the table, but was found by Stella.

Back at The Vic, Phil and Stella discussed the incident but Stella appeared not to be bothered and told Phil not to make a fuss out of it all. After Phil went out Stella rushed to Ben's room to confront him but he was gone so she started downstairs to find him. Later she found him hiding out at The Archers but instead of going into see him, Stella proceeded to lock him inside. Later Stella came back and started to tell Ben about the conflict between Ian and Phil. After this Stella hugged Ben and told him that she was lucky to have him around. After this Stella proceeded to leave the Archers and lock Ben inside again.

On 2 April, Stella poured water in Ben's bed, making him think he had wet the bed. In return for keeping this from Phil, she got Ben to ask Phil to propose to her. After pressure from Ben, and Stella lying about a job offer in Manchester, Phil proposed to her on 3 April. Phil explained to Stella he wanted her to be a mum to Ben, and although she acted pleased, deep down she hated the fact that Ben again had come first. On 5 April, Stella stayed awake the whole night glueing Phil's account book together, she later blamed Ben and Phil shouted at him. Later, Stella manipulated Ben into thinking she had helped him by doing this and Ben later confessed to a crime he didn't commit.

On 19 April, whilst Phil was downstairs in the bar with Max Branning and Kevin Wicks, Stella crept into Ben's room whilst he was sleeping and stared at him in the dark, while the lightning from outside made her appearce look more menacing. When Ben woke up, Stella told him that he had upset Phil and should be ashamed. She made him feel small and taunted him by calling him a girl "with pigtails" and that he was a big baby. Ben began to cry and Stella rolled up her sleeve asking Ben to pinch her. Ben gently pinched her skin and then she told him it was her go - Ben rolled up his sleeve revealing several bruises of which Stella had done to him previously.

After Ben and Phil were recently involved in a car accident, Stella has led Ben to believe that he caused the crash. The terror of the near-fatal incident has led to Phil to bring the wedding date forward, however.

Stella recently tried to gain Phil's affection by teaching Ben how to play football. She and Ben were getting along very well before Ben accidentally kicked the ball in Stella's face, infuriating her. Later, Stella scared Ben into attending football camp, but once he had gone she was devastated. Stella sat on the stairs in tears, pinching her arm as she realised she no longer had power over him and she was self-harming.

She was bullied by Olive, whom Peggy had hired to help her model a wedding dress and in revenge knocked a glass of water over on the Olive's portfolio. The dressmaker later said sarcastically to Stella "Mind the pins" to which Stella responded "You too" in a calm, sinister tone. The dressmaker then told Peggy to keep her eye on Stella, believing her to be a trouble-maker.

Ben later phoned to speak to Peggy and she asked him if he wanted to speak to Stella before handing over the phone to her. Ben hung up but Stella continued pretending to talk to him over the phone. Once Peggy had left the room Stella began banging her head against the wall, sobbing. This resulted in a large bruise developing on her forehead which she blamed on tripping over a pile of laundry.

Later that week, she reluctantly went to see her parents with Phil. When they arrived Stella's mother, Marion, was very cool with both her and Phil. Stella's father, Edward was supposedly out playing golf. Phil passed the time by looking at the family photos and noticed that Stella was not in any of them. He caught sight of a picture of Stella's sister, Catherine on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. He later went through to the kitchen to find Marion and saw Edward in an adjoining room pouring himself a glass of cider and watching the golf on television. Phil realised that Edward had pretended to be out playing golf to avoid Stella. Before they left, Phil went to reprimand Stella's parents who told him that he didn't know as much as he thought he did about her. Marion told Phil to ask Stella what had happened to her sister. He did and Stella told him that she had died from meningitis and her parents had "taken it out on the lucky one." Phil was unconvinced.

In a later episode Stella found a magazine belonging to Shirley Carter lying in her sitting room in the flat above the Queen Vic. She dropped it into a waste paper bin. Shirley later came to retrieve it and got into an argument with Shirley whom Stella called a "tart" provoking Shirley to respond "Ooh, Phil's posh lawyer girlfriend's got a gob." Stella responded by venomously calling Shirley a "cheap, filthy, dried-up wrinkly old bag", before telling her to get out. The shocked Shirley instantly left. Stella dashed into Ben's room and in a hysterical rage smashed all his toys. Later, she tried getting Phil's attention but he was too busy and so didn't have much time to talk to her. This upset Stella who was later seen upstairs talking to Ben over the phone saying "I disgust your father. Sometimes I don't know why I don't just kill myself. No-one would care. Except you." It was then revealed that she was actually just pretending to talk to him and the phone was switched off.

On 13 July, Ben returned from his football camp and Stella tried her best to welcome him with open arms. Ben ignored her and ran straight to Peggy. Later at the dinner table, Ben told Stella he didn't want the burger she made his as he had turned vegetarian. Annoyed, she didn't react but stood up and made him beans on toast instead. Later she crept into his room and told him she loved him, knowing Phil was listening on the other side. This finalised Phil's feelings towards her and he was determined he was going to marry for Ben. When Phil left, Ben confessed he lied about being vegetarian and Stella laughed it off. Whilst Ben slept she sneaked back into his room holding a plate with the burger. She woke him up and Ben looked petrified. Later, Stella emerged from the room holding an empty plate - indicating she force fed him against his will.

When Abi was upset because she felt that she was out of place at school due to her long holiday, Tanya suggested to Stella that Ben should come over for tea, Stella lied and said that Ben probably won't come because she's treating him to a pizza. Tanya later asked Peggy who agreed that Ben would go over, over the night at the Branning's Ben saw Lauren in a strop and thought that it was a phase she was going through where Tanya was hurting her just like Stella was doing to him. Ben told Abi about it and that one day she would be hurt by Tanya to. They planned to run away, Ben crept over to the pub to get his rucksack and pack a few things, Stella caught him and confronted him about his friendship with Abi, just as she was about to punish him, Phil entered, Ben quickly left, pretending to go to school. Stella later had to pick Ben up when the Vet Abi had to see about her guinea pig Marge had phoned up Tanya to tell her that they had run away. Tanya was very angry with Abi, but Stella said that the important thing was that they were back and safe. When Stella and Ben got home, she was fuming in anger, she picked up a photo of his mother Kathy, and dropped it on the floor, smashing it with her boot. Stella said that Kathy probably pretended that Ben was Phil's son when he wasn't really because he was to pathetic to be a real Mitchell. Ben was weeping. Stella said that he had to be punished. Ben unrolled his sleeve and Stella pinched him. After Abi asked her parents not to hurt her when they were angry, they refused this idea and explained the reason Lauren was in a mood was because her body was changing, they also said they loved her unconditionally. Abi later ran up to the Vic window where Ben was and shouted that what Stella was doing to him was wrong and that she had to tell his dad. Ben saw Stella creeping up behind him and shouted that he didn't want to be friends with her any more. Stella looked on, pleased, and said that lunch was ready.The next morning Ben came into the sitting room to see Stella watching a teenage soap-opera on the television. He came and sat next to her on the sofa whilst Stella ridiculed him and talked excitedly about her wedding. Ben told her that what she was doing to him was wrong and went to tell Peggy but Stella seized him and dragged him into his room where she attempted to blackmail him into being quiet but Ben saw through her lies and began shouting for his father but Stella stopped him and told him that if he didn't tell Phil then once her and Stella were married the abuse would stop. Ben believed her but Abi managed to convince Ben otherwise and she gave him a stone. She said "I've put magic in it. If it doesn't work, well just throw it at her head. Tell, Ben". She then walked back to the car that she was going in, and went off to the wedding.Ben started to be wary of Stella and was reluctant to come out of the taxi, but Stella persuaded him otherwise. They held hands and were about to enter the service when Ben pulled his hand away. Stella looked back and Ben said he didn't want her to become his mum. Stella was furious and hung him up against a wall, scratching her nails into his chest. Ben was in too much pain to speak and Stella said that if Ben told Phil about anything she had been doing, she would come into his room at night and suffocate him and Phil would have to bury him like his mother in the ground. As she uttered this terrifying monologue Stella grasped Ben's heart with her fake nails and cut his skin, causing it to bleed and staining his shirt.

During the wedding, everything went smoothly for the evil woman and the priest was just about to declare Phil and Stella husband and wife when Ben rubbed his 'magic stone' that Abi had gave him earlier for courage, and said 'Can somebody help me?' And that's when the trouble started.

Aftermath

Phil looked on in surprise and confusion, Stella nervously tried to reach out to Ben, Ben fell on the floor screaming. Phil took Ben out of the marriage ceremony, determined to find out what was going on and why blood was on his shirt. Stella was about to run after them just when Peggy made a comment, Stella turned round and said "They're my family now Peggy." Stella ran out into the corridor where Phil was growing increasingly frustrated, Stella urged a weeping Ben to tell Phil everything, Ben carried on weeping, Peggy entered, wondering what the big fuss was.

Stella asked Peggy to keep an eye on Ben whilst she and Phil talk in the games room. Stella nervously tip toed around the snooker table while Phil followed her round. Stella tried to distract him with banter of the ruined wedding, Phil grew angry and asked her to get to the point. Stella said that Ian was hurting Ben, pinching him and punching him and playing on his sensitivity and naivety, she said that Ben told her of the abuse in the morning of the wedding and kept quiet because he didn't want to spoil the big day. Things didn't add up for Phil, who doubted that Ben told Stella all of it just this morning and knew that they were close brothers, at that moment Phil looked up at Stella who was shaking and said: "It was you," Stella ran out of the corridor, past Peggy who was hugging Ben and stole the wedding car, driving back to Walford and the square. Phil was about to chase after her but Ben begged Phil to stay, Phil and Peggy examined the bruises on Ben with shock and horror, Peggy gasping and Phil crying. Peggy told Phil she'd look after Ben and that he had to make her pay for what she did to Ben.

Meanwhile Stella had returned to the Vic, crying in deep emotion, she spilt orange juice on Ben's bed to make it look like he wet himself and took a picture of Phil and Ben, tearing Phil out and keeping the piece with Ben which she tucked under her bra for unknown reaons. Ian was around and saw Stella in shock and asked her what was going on. Stella replied that she had discovered something out about Phil that she couldn't say and ran down the stairs. Phil then burst into the Vic and ran upstairs, Ian told Stella to go, which she did, taking the bride and groom figures on the cake and running back out and driving off in the car. Phil pushed Ian out of the way and drove off to locate Stella. Phil had no success until he received a phone call from Stella, she urged him to see her side, Phil pretended that he loved her and wanted to know her side and asked if he could tell her where she was so they could talk about it. Stella was suspicious but his words of love convinced her and told him she was at an abandoned factory on Access road. Phil drove up with a metal pole he picked up, Stella bolted the gates of the factory, with Phil rattling the bars of the gate. Phil grabbed onto to Stella's head dress and pulled it off, desperate to attack her. Stella said that Ben caused her the bruising on her arm (which she had done to herself). Stella said that in her childhood, she was always blamed for her sister's death and she felt like she was a ghost in her own home and she felt the same with Phil, like when he asked her to buy her own wedding ring and when he would never kiss her in public and that when you feel like in a dream you sometimes have to pinch yourself to wake yourself up.Phil, reasoning that Stella was insane drove the car into the gates and ran after Stella up the stairs to the roof. He made for her but Stella hurried over to the edge and threatened to jump unless Phil told her he loved her. Phil answered that he chose her because he thought she was convenient for Ben and would be a good wife. Stella moved towards the edge of the building and looked over saying "Its an awfully long way down." With the thought of her about to jump Phil said "You're not gonna do it" to which Stella responded "Watch me daddy," before jumping off the building. She landed on the wedding car bonnet and was killed instantly. As she fell, the photograph of Ben fell from beneath her bra and fluttered to the ground. Phil later claimed he had pushed her, causing him to be arrested. When being interrogated about the death he told the detective about how bad it feels your children being abused. But then 30 minutes later they got CCTV footage from the top of the factory block proving that she jumped. Phil Mitchell has now been released.

References

External links

*EEcharlink|stella_c