BBC/Composite: EastEnders Insider Share By Joel Harley Oct 10 2025 By Joel Harley Oct 10 2025 Phil Mitchell crowned 'most iconic UK TV villain of all time' Phil's the top dog Phil Mitchell Steve McFadden Share By Joel Harley Oct 10 2025 By Joel Harley Oct 10 2025 EastEnders legend Phil Mitchell has been crowned ‘the most iconic UK TV villain of all time’ in a new report. Released by online casino Betway, this research analysed a cross-section of Google search results, Wikipedia views, episode count and positive sentiment to determine which television villain might come out on top. And, in a line-up which also included Sherlock’s Jim Moriarty and Peaky Blinders’ Alfie Solomon, the one and only Phil Mitchell emerged as top dog. Phil’s topped the charts as UK TV’s greatest villain (Credit: BBC) EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell crowned ‘most iconic UK TV villain of all time’ Racking up over 24,000 monthly Google searches and nearly 2 million Wikipedia page views, Phil topped a list of ten names – earning him a score of 62.39 out of 100. Phil beat out Moriarty and Alfie Solomons in second and third place, respectively, with Killing Eve’s Villanelle in fourth. Phil wasn’t the only EastEnders villain on the list either. In fifth and tenth place, Janine Butcher and the legendary ‘Dirty’ Den Watts also made the cut. Meanwhile, Coronation Street and Emmerdale were represented by Richard Hillman (sixth place) and Meena Jutla (seventh). A spokesperson for Betway said: “Villains have always played a huge part in what makes British television so memorable. They keep audiences hooked and storylines alive. Phil Mitchell’s dominance shows just how much we love a character who can be both feared and admired in equal measure.” Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers Phil’s been through a lot recently (Credit: BBC) In celebration of Steve McFadden as Phil Mitchell This report comes soon after actor Steve McFadden picked up an award for Serial Drama Performance at this year’s National Television Awards. Steve’s big win came in the wake of a trailblazing storyline in which Phil struggled with his failing mental health. As he took to the stage, Steve said: ‘To even be nominated for this award, watching that VT and my fantastic colleagues on Emmerdale and Corrie is absolutely fantastic, but to win it is unbelievable. It’s absolutely amazing.” He continued: ‘Thank you so much. For everybody that voted for me, I truly am grateful and very, very happy to receive this award. Thank you to my fantastic cast over there. Generous, brilliant, stunning, wonderful cast. They are fantastic. Thank you to the audience for forgiving Phil Mitchell 35 years of stupidity!” Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns. Share Good to Know Share By Joel Harley Oct 10 2025 By Joel Harley Oct 10 2025
