We'd signed a three month contract, and the producers had an option to keep us for another three months, but within two weeks, the bosses said they wanted to keep us for two years.
The actor has played Phil Mitchel for 35 years, becoming the second longest serving cast member on the soap, behind the late June Brown who played the iconic Dorothy 'Dot' Branning.
On the current mental health troubles of Phil, actor Steve said: "It felt to me like this was a valid and worthwhile story to tell.
"I remember saying to him, 'I want to do something that people down the market will talk about, and kids in the school playground will talk about in their lunch break', like I used to talk about Minder and The Sweeney.
Steve also admitted he only decided he wanted to become an actor in his early twenties, being accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1984 at the age of 25.
