2004–2010 Prior to her arrival, Stacey had a troubled childhood, due to her mother
Jean Slater (
Gillian Wright) suffering from
bipolar disorder, and the death of her father, Brian, when she was 11. Stacey struggled to cope with her mother's suicidal and erratic behaviour, resulting from her illness. For a long time, Stacey was Jean's sole carer, as her older brother,
Sean Slater (
Robert Kazinsky), had disappeared, unable to cope with Jean's condition. Stacey, age 15, follows her family to
Walford in November 2004, to live with her great-uncle
Charlie Slater (
Derek Martin) and adoptive grandmother
Mo Harris (
Laila Morse), after being thrown out by her mother, Jean. She causes trouble through her promiscuous and immoral behaviour, which involves seducing her cousin
Lynne Hobbs' (
Elaine Lordan) husband
Garry Hobbs (
Ricky Groves). Charlie, fed up with her behaviour, sends her back home to Jean. However, she later returns to the Slaters, eventually growing close to them. In early 2005, Stacey befriends
Ruby Allen (
Louisa Lytton), the daughter of local gangster
Johnny Allen (
Billy Murray), and they later become best friends, despite falling out a few times and disapproval from Johnny. Stacey also becomes heavily involved in the murder of
Den Watts (
Leslie Grantham) when she gives her cousin
Zoe Slater (
Michelle Ryan) a false alibi for his murder, landing an innocent
Sam Mitchell (
Kim Medcalf) in prison. Sam's family and Den's adoptive daughter
Sharon Watts (
Letitia Dean) pressure her into telling the truth, and eventually Den's wife
Chrissie Watts (
Tracy-Ann Oberman) is arrested for the murder. In 2006, Stacey becomes involved in her cousin
Little Mo Slater's (
Kacey Ainsworth) love life when she spots a romantic connection between Little Mo's boyfriend
Oliver Cousins (
Tom Ellis) and resident
Dawn Swann (
Kara Tointon). She informs Little Mo of this, resulting in Little Mo and Oliver abruptly splitting up. Despite being initially unimpressed by Walford newcomer
Bradley Branning (
Charlie Clements), she eventually grows to like him and they start dating. Bradley becomes Stacey's first true love. Stacey is stunned when Sean appears back in her life after seven years, but is happy to have her brother back. Stacey's relationship with Bradley hits a rough patch when Stacey discovers she has been impregnated by Bradley and he urges her to have an abortion. Stacey reluctantly has the abortion and their romance sours. Bradley calls time on his relationship with Stacey when she embarrasses him at a work party. To get back at Bradley, Stacey seduces his father
Max Branning (
Jake Wood). Subsequently, they begin an affair. Although they agreed that it would only be about sex, Stacey falls in love with Max, but Max rejects her. Eventually, Max also falls for Stacey and agrees to leave his wife,
Tanya Branning (
Jo Joyner). However, Max has this on a halt as he learns that Tanya is pregnant. While Max and his family are out of town, Stacey reunites with Bradley and accepts his marriage proposal. When Max returns, he declares his love for Stacey and wants to run away with her. Stacey tells Max they are over for good and she is marrying Bradley. Stacey feels overwhelmed on her wedding day and almost does not go through with the ceremony, but Bradley convinces her to marry him. Max propositions Stacey after the wedding ceremony and their kiss is recorded on Max's eldest daughter
Lauren's (
Madeline Duggan) hidden video camera. Lauren gives a DVD of the recording to Bradley as a Christmas present, revealing the fling to the entire family. Tanya and Bradley are devastated over their spouses' betrayal and both marriages end. Some time later, Bradley decides to give his marriage to Stacey another chance, suggesting that they start a family. Stacey is uncertain and secretly continues taking birth control pills. She has a one-night-stand with
Callum Monks (
Elliott Jordan). She immediately regrets cheating on Bradley. Stacey attempts to reignite the spark in her marriage, but eventually decides her and Bradley are over. She has a brief relationship with Callum, but they split up over his harsh treatment of her mother. Following the death of her friend
Danielle Jones (
Lauren Crace), Stacey begins behaving erratically. She steals money from her family, sleeps with various men on the go and becomes a heavy drinker. She is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but is non-compliant with her medication and becomes paranoid, experiencing hallucinations. Around this time, Stacey has a one-night-stand with
Ryan Malloy (
Neil McDermott) and is attacked and raped by
Archie Mitchell (
Larry Lamb) in the launderette. Stacey's illness convinces her that both men are planning to kill her and after attacking Archie with a broken glass, Stacey is
involuntarily committed. Stacey returns home with
Becca Swanson (Simone James), a girl she befriended at the mental hospital. Upon her release, Bradley confesses his feelings for Stacey and they reconcile. Stacey then discovers she is three months pregnant, which means Bradley cannot be the father. On Christmas Day, Stacey tells Bradley that Archie raped her and he must be the father. Archie is murdered that night by an unknown assailant. Stacey and Bradley agree to pretend the baby is theirs, and remarry on 18 February 2010. A jealous Becca reveals the rape to Archie's eldest daughter
Ronnie Mitchell (
Samantha Womack), who tells Stacey that Archie cannot be the father as he was made infertile following cancer treatment. Becca informs the police that Bradley had a motive for killing Archie. He and Stacey attempt to flee Walford, but Bradley is caught by the police and falls to his death while trying to escape. A distraught Stacey confesses to Max that she was actually the one who killed Archie. Stacey runs away from Walford, unable to cope with Bradley's death. Max tracks her down to an abandoned house, where Stacey explains that she was angry at Archie and was worried about what Bradley would do to him after he found out about the baby. A minute after Bradley confronted Archie, she found Archie on the floor and, lucid and angered at what he had done to her and to Danielle, pushed the bust onto his head, but ran after his fingers twitched, fearing he would call the police. She balked at telling Bradley the truth about what she did, fearing that he would take the blame for her. When she finally told him while they were packing on their wedding night, Stacey offered to confess to the police herself, but he convinced her to flee Walford with him, regardless, out of his love for her. Reasoning that Bradley only wanted Stacey to be happy, Max brings her back home. Stacey realises Ryan is the father of her baby, but decides not to tell him. He exhibits a romantic interest in her, which is later revealed to be part of a bet with his girlfriend
Janine Butcher (
Charlie Brooks). Upset by this revelation, Stacey's water breaks. Ryan stays with her as she gives birth to her daughter, whom she names
Lily. When Ryan later rescues them from a fire at
The Queen Victoria public house, Stacey admits that he is Lily's father. Ryan initially refuses to act as a parent to her, but he eventually bonds with Lily when given the chance to look after her. Janine grows increasingly jealous and it eventually escalates to her kidnapping Lily, but Ryan gets her back. Stacey and Ryan grow closer, spending time together, and they share a kiss. During this time, Lauren (now played by
Jacqueline Jossa) discovers Stacey murdered Archie and records a confession on her phone. Stacey attempts to flee to
Palma, Majorca, but Ryan stops her and confesses his feelings for her. They start an affair after Stacey strips naked for him in the Queen Vic cellar, but, unbeknownst to them, Janine finds out and poisons Ryan in revenge. Ryan is hospitalised and on his return, he convinces Janine he loves her but later publicly declares his love for Stacey in The Vic. Janine concedes defeat until Lauren, who still believes Max is emotionally involved with Stacey, gives Janine the recorded confession. The next day, Janine attempts to play the recording in front of customers in The Vic, but it has been recorded over because Lauren warned Max. Janine says that Stacey killed Archie but no one believes her. Stacey leaves the pub in tears, followed by Ryan. She then breaks down and tells Ryan that Janine is telling the truth. On Christmas Day, Stacey tells Jean she killed Archie, so a panicked Jean takes Lily away from her. Ryan convinces Stacey to leave with him as Janine will call the police. Stacey lets Janine in and she tries to set Stacey up for attempted murder by grabbing a knife, placing it in Stacey's hand and stabbing herself. Stacey runs out of the house covered in blood and Janine convinces Jean to call the police. Stacey contemplates suicide but Max stops her and says he will help her escape. Stacey convinces Jean that Janine has framed her and Ryan plans to run away with her. Stacey tells Ryan she does not want him to come with her, because she is not sure whether she really loves him. Ronnie and her younger sister
Roxy Mitchell (
Rita Simons) confront her over their father's murder, and Stacey confesses that she did kill Archie. Ronnie tells her to leave town, realising that she has suffered enough, and Max drives her to the airport as the police arrive on the Square. At the airport, Max tells her he loves her and offers to leave with her, but she tells him she only ever loved Bradley. She and Lily then board a flight and leave the country. The next day,
Kat Moon (
Jessie Wallace) receives a phone call from Stacey, saying that she and Lily are safe and well in
Mexico.
2014–2025 Kat sees Stacey from the top deck of a bus in
London. Kat finds out where she lives and visits, where she meets Lily (Aine Garvey) and Stacey's boyfriend,
Luke Riley (
Matt Willis). Luke believes that Stacey's name is "Jenny Smith" and is unaware of her criminal history. Stacey sees Kat leaving and returns to Albert Square to confront her. Kat later tells Luke about Stacey's identity so he ends their relationship and throws both Stacey and Lily out. Stacey and Kat visit Janine in prison to ask her to withdraw the statement she made accusing Stacey of stabbing her. Janine reluctantly agrees, so Stacey can return to Albert Square. Luke visits Stacey, but leaves, after discovering that she murdered a man. Stacey decides to clear Bradley's name and hands herself in for Archie's murder. She is arrested and later sentenced to five years in prison. After realising how much Lily is missing her, she appeals her sentence on grounds of diminished responsibility, because of her bipolar disorder; her appeal is successful. Stacey returns to Walford, moving in with Kat and Alfie and beginning work at
Dean Wicks' (
Matt Di Angelo) salon. Stacey and Dean start dating and she and Lily move into Dean's flat, but their relationship ends when Stacey learns that Dean raped
Linda Carter (
Kellie Bright). Stacey talks to Sean over video chat, and he tells her to look after a key belonging to their late father Brian. Stacey is roughed up by Dean, who asks her about his daughter with
Shabnam Masood (
Rakhee Thakrar). Shabnam's boyfriend
Kush Kazemi (
Davood Ghadami) rescues her; they kiss and she tells him that Shabnam had a daughter she abandoned.
Martin Fowler (
James Bye) becomes her flatmate and they are set up by Stacey's friend
Whitney Dean (
Shona McGarty); they date briefly before she realises she has feelings for Kush, despite his engagement to Shabnam. Stacey and Kush kiss again but regret it. Stacey is jealous by Shabnam's pregnancy, and reconciles with Martin. Jean returns and is angry to find the key; Stacey is curious and tries to learn more, but Jean pretends to flush the key down the toilet. Stacey becomes pregnant, but Martin asks her to terminate it; however, she decides to keep the baby and Martin supports her decision. Stacey is spooked when a man,
Kyle (
Riley Carter Millington), she does not know begins to follow her. When Stacey learns Martin is planning to propose, she tells him that she doesn't want to get married again; they commit to each other instead. Stacey is electrocuted by a faulty electric socket; at hospital, she learns that she is having a boy. When Shabnam finds the hidden baby scan, Stacey throws her out of the flat and tears up the scan photo. She later tells Shabnam that Martin is not the father and the real father was a one-night stand. When Kush confronts her, Stacey admits that he may be the father, which Kush's mother
Carmel Kazemi (
Bonnie Langford) also realises. Stacey attends a church service, where she sees Kyle, who leaves suddenly without explanation, causing her to become more suspicious. Stacey tells Martin and Jean that she has a stalker and realises that Jean knows who it is. Jean produces the key and explains that it is for Brian's safety deposit box in a bank. Stacey finds the box empty and confronts Jean, who reveals that Brian had another family with another woman, and that Kyle has been trying to contact her and Stacey through letters; Stacey realises that Kyle is her half-brother. Stacey gives birth at Lily's nativity play and Martin names the baby
Arthur Fowler, after his father. When Kush holds the baby, his behaviour makes Shabnam realise that he could be Arthur's father; she confronts Stacey, who denies Kush is the father. Kat learns that Martin is not Arthur's father and urges Stacey to tell him the truth. As Stacey prepares to, Kyle approaches and formally introduces himself as her half-brother. Stacey begins to fear for Arthur's safety and takes refuge in the church, where
Dot Branning (
June Brown) tells her the story of the
Massacre of the Innocents, causing Stacey to believe that Arthur is in danger; she then unsuccessfully attempts to baptise Arthur. Stacey learns that Charlie has died, so flees and asks Kyle to join her; Martin calls her and claims that Kyle is lying about his identity, so Stacey accuses Kyle of being the devil. When she sees a vision of Charlie, Stacey returns to Walford. During a storm, she takes Arthur to the Queen Vic roof, believing God is coming for him. Martin finds them and Stacey explains that Arthur was sent from God and she is waiting for God to rescue them. Martin follows the story and convinces Stacey to come home. Martin convinces Stacey that a hospital would be the safest place for her and Arthur and she is sectioned after refusing to voluntarily admit herself without Arthur. Stacey is diagnosed with
postpartum psychosis. Martin finds a mother and baby care unit for Stacey and Arthur in Essex. When Shabnam decides to leave Walford, Stacey admits that Kush is Arthur's father. She writes Martin a letter revealing the truth, devastating him. Although he immediately struggles, they later reunite. On a home visit, Stacey meets Kyle again; he explains that he is transgender and Stacey invites him to stay at the flat. She also proposes to Martin and invites Kush to be part of Arthur's life, which he declines. Stacey is discharged from the mother and baby unit. Stacey invites Jean, Jean's husband
Ollie Walters (
Tony O'Callaghan) and her cousin
Belinda Peacock (
Carli Norris) for a family dinner, where Jean rejects Kyle and is told to leave. Belinda informs Stacey and Martin that they may have to move out as their pre-paid rent runs out soon. While Martin works away from home to earn money, Stacey befriends
Andy Flynn (
Jack Derges) and invites him to stay. Stacey receives forgiveness from Peggy before she dies. She and Martin then marry. The flat becomes overcrowded when Martin's teenage daughter,
Bex Fowler (
Jasmine Armfield), moves in with them, so they move into Number 31 Albert Square. After Martin is involved in a bus crash, he and Stacey decide to have a baby. When Carmel feels excluded from Arthur's life, she and Stacey fight; Carmel makes remarks about Stacey's mental health, so Stacey briefly bans her from seeing Arthur. Stacey tells Martin that she is pregnant and they agree to seek medical advice regarding her postpartum psychosis. When Kush is diagnosed with the hereditary
Brugada syndrome, Stacey becomes worried for Arthur; they learn he is at high risk of having it too but cannot be tested or operated on due to his age. Carmel is horrified to find bruises on Arthur's arms and expresses concern that Stacey is unwell. When Lily tells her that Stacey was responsible, Carmel reports her to social services, who place the children in Carmel's care pending investigation. They are cleared of any wrongdoing and a social worker tells Stacey and Martin that Lily feels pushed out by Arthur and is anxious about the new baby. Carmel admits to calling social services and as Stacey shouts at her and Kush, she suffers an eclamptic seizure and is rushed to the hospital. Stacey has to deliver the baby prematurely due to a lack of oxygen; they name their daughter
Hope Fowler. Stacey supports Max after he is rejected by his family. Martin becomes worried about their history, so Stacey asks Max to leave; they then have sex. Tanya returns and realises that they had sex, so tells Stacey about Max murdering
Steven Beale (
Aaron Sidwell). Stacey confesses the affair to Martin and explains that they never have time for themselves. Although Martin decides to forgive Stacey, she takes the children to stay with Jean. When she returns, they argue and he throws her out, but she regains control of the house. Stacey's relative,
Hayley Slater (
Katie Jarvis), arrives and helps Stacey when Martin seeks a childcare arrangement. Stacey is devastated when Big Mo returns with news of Kat's death; she and Martin then have sex. A fundraiser is organised but Jean arrives and tells Stacey that Kat is not dead. It transpires that Mo is using Kat dying to raise money for a debt she owes. Kat returns and starts a cleaning business with Stacey, Jean and Mo. Stacey and Martin also reconcile. Stacey and her former friend Ruby Allen reunite and attend Martin's school reunion. The following day, Ruby confides in Stacey that she was raped by one of Martin's friends. Stacey encourages her to report it to the police. Stacey supports Ruby through the process, and the perpetrators are eventually charged and sentenced. Jean is diagnosed with ovarian cancer and moves out. Stacey informs Sean about Jean's condition, prompting him to return to Walford. They argue, and Sean leaves suddenly. Stacey and Jean trace Sean to a barn, where he is about to commit suicide. Sean admits to killing their father, but Stacey and Jean forgive him and talk him out of taking his life. Kat begins dating Kush, and after learning of Kush's plans for joint custody of Arthur, Stacey and Kat fall out. Stacey disowns Kat as family and steals £50,000 from her, which belongs to
Phil Mitchell (
Steve McFadden), but she later returns the money. Kat and Martin argue with Phil over the money, and when Phil strangles Martin, Stacey hits Phil over the head with a wrench, leaving him almost dead. Stacey, Martin, Lily, and Hope then flee Walford. Martin returns alone and works for Phil's son
Ben Mitchell (
Max Bowden) in exchange for Stacey's safety. To protect Stacey, Martin ends their marriage and claims to have had sex with Sonia. Stacey's new boyfriend, Jerome, later arrives to collect Stacey and the children's belongings. Martin then receives divorce papers from Stacey's lawyer. A year later, Ruby discovers that Stacey has been illegally withdrawing money from her bank account after finding out about her relationship with Martin. Stacey returns to Walford, and Ruby blackmails her into staying until she repays the money. Stacey is surprised to learn that Martin lied about cheating to protect her and is upset when Martin and Ruby marry. Stacey and Ruby develop a feud, and Stacey is attacked by a man hired by Ruby but is found by
Kheerat Panesar (
Jaz Deol). They bond over their deceased partners and end up having sex. Kheerat offers Stacey a job as a receptionist at his business. Stacey mistakenly receives a Christmas present from Martin and kisses him, but Martin rejects her. Ruby fakes a pregnancy to save her marriage and, while arguing with Stacey, falls down the stairs and pretends to miscarry, blaming Stacey. Ruby fabricates evidence, leading Stacey to hand herself in to the police for a lesser sentence. She is subsequently sentenced to six months in prison. A few months later, Martin visits Stacey and apologises for believing Ruby, who is falsely imprisoned for drug dealing. Stacey is released from prison and reveals to Martin that she is married. When her probation officer visits, Stacey explains to Jean that she married a woman,
Eve Unwin (
Heather Peace), to secure her release from prison, but it is not a romantic relationship. Jean disapproves of the lie and seeks Sean's help in getting Eve to leave; however, Eve returns shortly after. Stacey and Kheerat bond, but their relationship is challenged by Eve's clashes with their landlord and Stacey's nemesis
Suki Panesar (
Balvinder Sopal), who is also Kheerat's mother. Stacey is hired as the market inspector but quits the job in favor of opening her own market stall, "Stacey's Baps," selling sandwiches. Stacey helps Kheerat to flee when he attacks
Gray Atkins (
Toby-Alexander Smith) and also learns that Gray killed Kush. Stacey becomes concerned about Jean's erratic behavior and her relationship with
Harvey Monroe (
Ross Boatman). Jean begins to act nastily towards Stacey and takes Arthur to the tube station where Kush was murdered, explaining to him what happened. Jean disowns Stacey, who then tries to appeal to Harvey about Jean's manic episode. Jean becomes distant from Stacey but eventually attends a GP appointment with her, leaving midway through. She then escapes to
Southend-on-Sea, where Stacey and Martin manage to stop her from drowning herself. Jean is involuntarily sectioned, but Stacey brings her home after realising that Jean is being bullied. Jean refuses to take her medication unless Lily gives it to her and convinces Lily that she has bipolar disorder too, leading Lily to take the medication as well. Stacey confronts Jean, who accidentally pushes her onto broken glass, causing Stacey to develop
sepsis and collapse. Jean then decides to voluntarily admit herself to a psychiatric unit. Stacey is later devastated when Kheerat confesses to the murder of
Ranveer Gulati (Anil Goutam), taking the blame for Suki and ending their relationship. At a New Year's Eve party at number 30, Jean, Lily, and Eve suddenly collapse from carbon monoxide poisoning. At the hospital, Stacey learns that 12-year-old Lily is pregnant and names
Ricky Mitchell (Frankie Day) as the father. Lily decides to keep the baby with support from Stacey and Martin. However, Ricky's father
Jack Branning (
Scott Maslen), tries to unsuccessfully scare Lily into having an abortion. Ryan returns after learning about the pregnancy and invites Lily to live with him in Wakefield. She agrees, worried about the financial burden on Stacey. Stacey and Ryan argue, and Lily orders him to leave when he insults Stacey; he then announces he will reduce his child maintenance payments. Stacey struggles with the cost of living crisis and rejects Kat's financial help. She borrows money from a loan shark
Shifty Shiv (
Peter Caulfield) but struggles to repay. He becomes aggressive and attacks Stacey, so Phil helps repay Shiv and orders him to leave Stacey alone. To make ends meet, Stacey begins selling lingerie photos of herself on SecretCam, an OnlyFans-style website. Lily's classmates find her page online and inform Lily, who exposes Stacey to the family. Stacey starts getting stalked and harassed by her SecretCam client, who is Lily's tutor,
Theo Hawthorne (
William Ellis). Stacey becomes increasingly paranoid and fearful as Theo continues to send her threatening messages, unwanted gifts, and breaks into her house. Theo eventually confesses to Stacey that he is her stalker, leaving her horrified. Soon after, Lily goes into labor and Stacey manages to lock Theo out of the house, but he lets himself back in through the back door and angrily confronts her in the kitchen. Stacey then loses a court case against Theo to get a restraining order. After she tells him she never had feelings for him, he attempts to rape her, which is witnessed by her cousin
Freddie Slater (
Bobby Brazier), who attacks Theo and leaves him for dead. Stacey, Eve, and Freddie all panic after seeing Theo's lifeless body. Not wanting Freddie to go to prison, they plant a wrench in Theo's hands to suggest that Freddie was acting in self-defense. Theo is taken to the hospital, and Freddie is arrested but released on bail. Freddie then goes to stay with his mother
Little Mo Slater (
Kacey Ainsworth) in the aftermath of the incident, while Jack informs the Slaters that Theo has given a statement to the police that doesn't match theirs. On the day of Theo's sentencing, Stacey meets him and tries to trick him into pleading guilty for attacking her by promising him they will rekindle their romance once Theo serves his time. The plan works, and Theo pleads guilty. Jack and Stacey grow closer as he supports her with their granddaughter
Charli Slater. Stacey drunkenly reveals to Jack the truth about Theo's attack, and he risks his job by keeping her secret. Eve goes missing after being threatened by
Ravi Gulati (
Aaron Thiara), who has discovered her affair with Suki. Stacey asks Jack for help in finding Eve, and they develop feelings for each other. They end up having sex, and they decide to hide it from their families. However, Jack's wife
Denise Fox (
Diane Parish) sees them together. Eve later returns and reveals to Stacey that she had to fake her death to escape from Suki's husband
Nish (
Navin Chowdhry). Stacey hides Eve, but Jack, who is investigating her disappearance, sees her and warns her to leave Walford before he reports her to the police. After an argument with Stacey, Jack reports Eve to the police. On Christmas Day, Suki decides to leave Nish for Eve, and Stacey finds her escaping from the Panesar house. They hide in The Queen Vic, accompanied by Denise,
Sharon Watts (
Letitia Dean), Linda Carter, and
Kathy Cotton (
Gillian Taylforth). Nish soon arrives, and after Suki ends their marriage, he turns violent. Denise hits Nish over the head with a champagne bottle to protect Suki, believing she has killed him. Sharon's fiancé
Keanu Taylor (
Danny Walters) walks in and discovers Nish's unconscious body. After being humiliated by Sharon, Keanu strangles her, and Linda, trying to help, stabs Keanu with a meat thermometer, killing him. To cover their tracks, the women frame Keanu for Nish's attack and bury him under the floorboards of Kathy's Café. They lie to the police, claiming Keanu assaulted Nish and fled Walford. Stacey and Jack end up having sex again, and they begin an affair. Denise's breakdown over Keanu's death leads Stacey to end her affair with Jack. However, their feelings rekindle at a family barbecue, and they kiss. They are seen by Martin who confronts them and reveals their affair to Denise's daughter
Chelsea Fox (
Zaraah Abrahams), who exposes it to the whole Branning family. Keanu's body is later found when the concrete cracks at the café, and when Sharon is arrested for his murder, Linda plans to confess. After learning that her ex-boyfriend and Linda's rapist, Dean Wicks, has framed Jean for tampering with his daughter
Jade Masood's (Elizabeth Green) medication, Stacey suggests they frame Dean for Keanu's murder. She plants the meat thermometer in Dean's apartment, and Linda reports him to the police, leading to his arrest. During Dean's trial for Keanu's murder, Linda struggles and confesses to the police, who refuse to believe her. Linda then admits the truth to Keanu's sister
Bernadette Taylor (
Clair Norris), forcing Stacey and the other women to confess to concealing Keanu's body. Kathy accidentally reveals the truth to Nish, who plans to report them to the police. However, after Suki intervenes, Nish decides to take the blame for Keanu's murder and hands himself in to the police. Stacey later finds out that Martin has a son,
Roman, with Ruby, and comes face to face with her once again. Martin tells Stacey he is going to apply for full custody of Roman, and Stacey agrees to support him; this plan is scuppered when Stacey accidentally reveals the truth. During this time, Stacey and Martin find themselves becoming closer; the night before Martin is due to undergo a liver transplant for Roman, he kisses Stacey. Stacey initially rejects him, but finds herself wanting a relationship with Martin again when he becomes closer with Ruby in the aftermath of the operation. For the next few weeks, Stacey continues to deny that she still has feelings for Martin despite the pair almost sharing a kiss. However, Jean encourages Stacey to confess her feelings - she eventually does, but Martin refuses, accusing Stacey of always using him. On the same night,
Reiss Colwell (
Jonny Freeman) crashes his car into the barrel store, causing the pub to explode. Stacey is trapped in the rubble, while Martin helps everyone to get out. Martin decides to stay to rescue Stacey. Although Stacey and Martin successfully dig a way out, Stacey declines to leave without having a proper conversation with Martin about their relationship, in which he again refuses to get back together with her. A metal beam collapses near Stacey, prompting Martin to push her away. The beam crashes onto Martin, crushing his legs. As paramedics arrive, Stacey and Martin declare their love and plan to remarry. A paramedic then warns Stacey that Martin has
crush syndrome and may suffer cardiac arrest when the beam is removed. When the beam is lifted, Martin initially appears to survive but soon loses consciousness and dies in Stacey's arms. Her anguished screams alert the crowd outside, with Ruby collapsing in tears. Stacey organises Martin's funeral along with Ruby, causing friction between them, and she leaves to stay with Sean for a while. On the day of Martin's funeral, Stacey returns drunk and refuses to go to the funeral as she believes it is her fault Martin is dead. However, his ex–wife
Sonia Fowler (
Natalie Cassidy) manages to talk Stacey into attending. Lily confronts Stacey about how her abrupt departure has torn the family apart, and Stacey slaps her; Lily then runs away and doesn't attend the funeral. That evening Stacey is shocked by an arson attack on Martin's stall, and
Priya Nandra-Hart (
Sophie Khan Levy) claims that it was Ruby who was responsible for the fire. After Stacey clashes with Ruby, she sees a picture which reveals that Lily torched Martin's stall and convinced Priya and her daughter
Avani Nandra-Hart (
Aaliyah James) to say it was Ruby. Lily and Stacey remain at loggerheads as Stacey's mental health deteriorates. Lily misses school to look after her siblings, and the Slaters become concerned about Stacey. They discover that while Stacey has been locked away in her room, she has been having imaginary conversations with Martin on her phone. Lily takes Charli and decides to leave Walford to stay with Ryan as Stacey is struggling. Later, Stacey decides that she and the children need a break from Walford, and they go to stay with her cousin
Lynne Slater (
Elaine Lordan). She later returns, and it is revealed that she has been staying in a flat with Zoe, who appears to be struggling. Stacey tells Alfie, and despite their attempts to reconcile Zoe with Kat, Zoe refuses. She later flees to
Barcelona with Stacey's credit card. Alfie goes to Barcelona to find her, but fails and returns to Walford. During this time, Stacey and Alfie keep this hidden from Kat, but Alfie is forced to tell her. After Zoe returns she is shot outside the Queen Vic, prompting Stacey to rethink her future in Walford. Sean invites her and the children to live in
Brazil; however Lily turns the offer down. Stacey is subsequently encouraged by Zoe to leave, and, after finding out Zoe and Max are secretly together, she leaves Walford. ==Reception==