Stella Crawford

Name: Stella Crawford
First Appeared: 7th September 2006
Last Appeared: 23rd July 2007
Played by: Sophie Thompson

Stella Crawford crashed into Walford as Phil Mitchell’s new lawyer, but things quickly took a turn for the dramatic. She started dating Phil, but his son Ben was less than thrilled. Despite Ben’s best efforts to split them up, Stella cunningly gained his trust while scheming to end his friendship with Abi Branning. Little did Ben know, Stella’s sweetness was a facade masking her abusive tendencies.

Stella moved in and began a campaign of physical and mental torment against Ben. She forced Ben to push Phil into proposing, pretending she had a job offer in Manchester. Phil, unsuspecting, popped the question, and Stella gleefully accepted. Her tormenting ways continued as she manipulated Ben, blaming him for a car accident and calling him all sorts of names. Even a simple football camp couldn’t escape her wrath; Ben’s return was met with a creepy night-time visit where Stella professed her love while knowing Phil was eavesdropping.

Ben, believing this was a normal part of growing up, confided in Abi, and they plotted to run away. Stella, ever the villain, thwarted their plans, smashing a photo of Ben’s mum and belittling him further. But Abi wasn’t fooled and stood up to Stella, seeing through her twisted games.

The day of Phil and Stella’s wedding was nothing short of a soap opera classic. Ben, fed up, revealed Stella’s abuse mid-ceremony. Stella fled, creating a scene by spilling orange juice on Ben’s bed and tearing a photo of Phil and Ben. Ian Beale encountered her in a state of shock, claiming she had dirt on Phil. Stella took off again, leading Phil to an abandoned factory.

In a dramatic showdown on the factory roof, Stella confessed her tragic past, feeling like a ghost blamed for her sister’s death. She demanded Phil’s love, but he bluntly revealed he chose her for convenience. Realizing her manipulation had failed, Stella jumped, ending her life. Phil was initially suspected of murder, but CCTV footage cleared him, showing Stella’s fatal leap.