phil mitchell, played by steve mcfadden, first arrives in albert square on 20 february 1990, and is soon joined by his brother, grant (ross kemp), sister sam (danniella westbrook) and mother peggy (jo warne/barbara windsor). he has become one of the soap's most popular characters and is the second longest-running male protagonist to appear in the serial. he is first introduced as the lesser of two thugs, but becomes a darker character after grant leaves. more recent storylines, such as the return of his son ben, have shown a softer side to the character. in 2010, mcfadden was given six weeks off eastenders, so he could appear in pantomime. he has, at various times, owned many businesses in the square. he has been married three times and featured in numerous high-profile storylines, including the much-hyped whodunnit, dubbed "who shot phil?"—when the character is gunned down outside his home – and an affair with his brother's wife, dubbed "sharongate".