Steve McFadden has blessed our television screens as Phil Mitchell in EastEnders for 36 years, undoubtedly establishing him as a national treasure.

Devotees of the BBC soap are accustomed to witnessing tough guy Phil’s shaven look as he strolls around Walford donning a leather jacket and shooting locals menacing glares, or a cheeky wink if you happen to be a prospective love interest.

However, Phil also possesses a compassionate side, as audiences are currently observing him caring for his dear friend Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), who is heartbreakingly suffering from dementia.

Steve, 66, initially joined the programme in 1990 and has since captivated fans with his depiction of Phil, including a ‘whodunnit’ storyline in 2001, following his shooting on his doorstep.

For weeks, the assassination attempt captured attention across the nation until the gunman was revealed to be his former lover, Lisa Fowler (Lucy Benjamin), reports OK!.

Phil has also experienced numerous other stormy romances, including his affair and subsequent marriages to Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), his doomed relationship with Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), and a hasty wedding to Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace), which proved short-lived.

With his character appearing in EastEnders several times a week, it’s difficult to envisage how the actor looked nearly 40 years ago when Steve arrived on the programme. Yet compared to his early days on the beloved BBC soap, he is rather unrecognisable.

During the early stages of his acting journey, Steve featured as Mickey in the beloved 80s television programme Minder before landing a role in Vote for Them in 1989 as Sergeant Ballantine, and portraying Jones in Bergerac (1990).

Prior to his arrival in Albert Square as one half of the Mitchell Brothers, Steve made a guest appearance on The Bill.

Running from 1983 to 2010, The Bill ranked amongst Britain’s most-watched programmes and was transmitted on ITV.

Viewers were captivated by the crime series, which delved into the personal and professional lives of officers stationed at the fictional Sun Hill police station.

Throughout the fifth series of The Bill, Steve secured a guest spot as a firearms dealer in the 1989 episode Bad Company.

In the hard-hitting episode, Steve’s character serves as an antagonist who aims a weapon at a police officer after Sun Hill personnel discover their criminal operation. Steve appears sporting a full head of hair and facial hair whilst wreaking havoc in the programme.

His appearance on the ITV series lasted just one episode before he joined EastEnders as Phil Mitchell.