Matthew Rose was the son of market inspector Michael Rose. He made his first appearance on 26 August 1997 and was played by Joe Absolom.
Backstory[]
Matthew was an only child to Michael and Susan Rose. By 1997, he was a typical teenager who got into a few scrapes and was sulky.
Storylines[]
1997-1998: Arrival and making friends[]
Matthew arrived in Albert Square in August 1997 as his father Michael was the local market inspector. Matthew briefly dated Sarah Hills.
In 1998, he almost got involved in drugs while on a trip to the Norfolk Broads with Teresa di Marco, Tony Hills and Robbie Jackson. Matthew became friends with Jamie Mitchell. One night, they went to the Vic pretending to be over 18 but Jamie's cousin Grant Mitchell threw them out.
1998-2000: Saskia Duncan's death, feud with Steve Owen and exit[]
In December 1998, Steve Owen bought the nightclub on Turpin Road. Steve employed Matthew as a DJ. Steve's ex-girlfriend Saskia Duncan turned up and began stalking him.
In February 1999, Matthew witnessed a fight between Steve and Saskia - where she tried to strangle him. Steve hit her over the head with an ashtray and killed her. Steve coaxed Matthew into helping dispose of the body in Epping Forest. Matthew started having nightmares and could not contain his grief. Steve pressured him into keeping quiet after Matthew wanted to go to the police. Steve even threatened to kill Matthew if he started blabbing. Matthew did confess to Teresa, his then girlfriend.
In June 1999, Saskia's body was discovered and Matthew stole Steve's bank card and he and Teresa went to Nottingham. They are chased by Steve and Teresa's brother Gianni di Marco. Both were arrested and Steve said Matthew killed Saskia.
Matthew was truly framed. He was beaten up in prison but his cellmate got some heavies to rough Steve up a bit. Matthew was left a snivelling wreck. At the trial, Steve was acquitted of murder and manslaughter and Matthew was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter. Later on he was released when Steve's fingerprints were found on the ashtray. Everyone knew that Steve had stitched Matthew up and he was met with disdain from Phil Mitchell and Mark Fowler. Matthew's time in jail bought on a harder edge to him. He became much more savvy, and had a more menacing side to him, so planned revenge on Steve.
On New Year's Eve 1999, after toughening up a lot, Matthew vowed revenge on Steve, after speaking to him in the Square at the Millennium party. Matthew told Teresa he was back and not going away again. In his revenge plan, he spray painted Steve's house, blocked his nightclub toilets and began stalking him. Steve hired a detective named Will Harper. Matthew hid the bullets of Steve's gun and turned up on the 1 February 1999 carrying a petrol can. Matthew demanded £10,000 and later held him captive and said revenge was about power. He then said he would burn them both in a fire and that he had killed Saskia's sister Claudia Fielding and framed Steve for it. Steve was left whimpering. Matthew then said it was all a bluff - the boobie-trapped lightbulbs, Claudia, and the petrol which was just water. He said Claudia was in America now and that he has not seen her. Matthew just wanted to make Steve suffer. Matthew had videoed all this on the CCTV and took the tape. He told Steve that he had taken the power back. He thanked Teresa for sticking by him and told her to be happy. He said he was leaving the area for good as he could not stay - not after the Saskia thing and having to live near Steve. He took the £10,000. He then walked out into the night, pleased that he got his own back and that he would never see Steve ever again.
Matthew has not been seen in Walford since and his whereabouts from then on were unknown. However he did find out about Steve's death in a car crash in 2002 and sent flowers and a card saying "Dear Steve. Rot in hell". Melanie Owen and Ian Beale read the card from Matthew.
In February 2018, 18 years since Matthew left Walford, he was mentioned when Mel told her son Hunter Owen how his dad Steve had stitched Matthew up.
Kill count[]
Connected murders and deaths[]
- Saskia Duncan (15 February 1999) (association) - witnesses Steve Owen kill Saskia, Steve convinces Matthew to help him get rid of the body and they dispose of Saskia's body in Epping Forrest.