STELLA performance!
Sophie played a true Eastenders baddy…
Albert Square aficionados were chilled by the antics of Sophie’s other famous soap character, Stella Crawford, back in 2006 and 2007. She was the woman who got together with Phil Mitchell, only to terrorise and physically abuse 10-year-old Ben. The storyline was so shocking that the team at Eastenders were concerned that Sophie wasn’t equipped for the fan response – but she tells us it was great fun.
“They were worried I might get some funny reactions, but I was surprised – people were so nice!” grins the 56-year-old actress.
“Me and my boys did get slightly mobbed in the swimming pool for a bit, and we couldn’t go there for a few months, but apart from that… The audience just enjoyed the story, and youngsters were kind. I don’t think I got anything horrible.” There’s no doubt that Stella was one of the first roles where lovely, kindly Sophie got to play a seriously evil woman.
“Yes, she was my first baddy!” chuckles the star. “That made her so interesting to play. Stella didn’t have any empathy – that was how I defined her in my mind. Ultimately, she had been broken along the way. My role as Rosemary in Corrie couldn’t be more different, which is lovely.”