page_title: Steph Cunningham
section_title: Casting and characterisation
hierarchical_section_title: Steph Cunningham / Development / Casting and characterisation
caption_attribution_description: Hollyoaks actress Carley Stenson with a fan.
context_page_description: Steph Roach is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks, played by Carley Stenson. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 8 March 2000. Steph was introduced into the serial by executive producer Jo Hallows. In 2009 Stenson decided to quit, but the then producer Lucy Allan convinced her to stay to play out a dramatic storyline. The announcement of her departure was made public in June 2010. Stenson's fellow cast members have described her as a "Hollyoaks legend" because of her lengthy duration.
  Steph has been described as having a highly confident persona, a trait Stenson enjoyed portraying throughout. Steph is also played as "fame hungry". She is noted for a number of high-profile storylines such as the portrayal of bullying in a school environment, the portrayal of epilepsy, which Stenson felt had been a 'taboo subject' for too long. Other stories include becoming a widow and her involvement in Niall Rafferty's revenge plot and her constant desire for fame. One of Steph's final storylines was the portrayal of cervical cancer, which Stenson conducted extensive research into.
context_section_description: Stenson originally auditioned to play a friend of the established character Zara Morgan (Kelly Greenwood). Although unsuccessful, the Hollyoaks casting team later asked her to apply for the new role of Steph Cunningham, and placed her straight into the final stage of auditions. She was delighted to subsequently be given the part, which was her first major television role. Stenson joined the cast straight after leaving high school, aged seventeen. She made her first appearance in March 2000, and by 2010 had become the longest-serving female cast member remaining.
  Steph was introduced as a friend of Zara's, who was initially "quite naive" and easily led. Within two years, her personality had altered greatly. Steph became a bully, and "a bit of a bitch". Stenson enjoyed this transformation into a villain, as she believed it made Steph a more memorable character. She also felt she could "really go somewhere" with Steph's bitchiness in her acting, but in contrast struggled to portray her more genuine moments. She commented that Steph is the type of character only to cry over things she "really cares about". Stenson found this difficult to relate to, and struggled to "find a balance between pushing it too far and far enough". She ultimately preferred to play her as a bitch, though one "more comical rather than just out-and-out nasty."
  Stenson assessed that Steph "really isn't all bad, more of a lovable rogue who just likes making mischief for attention." She deemed her character "very unpredictable", with a great deal of confidence. The LINC Online called her a "beautiful blonde wild child with a penchant for arrogance and displays of egotism". Sarah Moolla of The People branded her "superficial", the Daily Record's Merle Brown referred to her as "a true red-blooded female, and Emma Johnson of the Liverpool Echo assessed that she had a "couldn't-care-less" attitude. BBC America described Steph as a two-sided character. They observed that as well as a bitch, she could be "dishonest, vain, jealous and small-minded", and wrote "She causes trouble when she wants to and will happily lie and gossip to get her own way." Conversely, they noted that for those on her good side, "She can be your best friend, a confidante and sweet natured girl".
  As Steph developed, she was revealed to have a "softer side". Beneath her tough façade was a "deeply insecure little girl who crave[d] love and affection." An "artistic and creative" streak lead her to attend performing arts college. This inspired a rivalry with fellow actor Summer Shaw (Summer Strallen), which saw Steph "determined to keep the limelight on her." Stenson downplayed her vocal ability, and opined that Steph is "hardly the world's best singer".
caption: Carley Stenson (pictured) said that Steph is a "lovable rogue who just likes making mischief for attention."
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