"very different bad boy" and potentially dangerous. In December 2010, Puleston-Davies defended Owen's violent nature and manipulative ways, saying, "He's not an evil man with an axe, or a hammer! Everything he does has reasoning behind it. He's got morals – but they're his own morals. Don't write Owen off – he's not an out-and-out bad guy... honest!" Storyline development Owen meets Liz McDonald (Beverly Callard) and the pair embark on an "unlikely relationship". The Daily Mirror said that Liz and Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) both fall "head over heels" for his cheeky charm. Puleston-Davies told the Daily Mirror that Owen likes Liz, but causes competition between her and Eileen and plays them off against each other. Owen finds himself on the receiving end of Jim's "acid tongue" after Liz shows her feelings towards him. Jim becomes jealous of Owen and Liz and causes problems between them. When asked about Owen and Liz's relationship in an interview with Digital Spy, Callard admitted that Liz can be "so stupid". She said "Liz thinks he's great, but of course the viewers know different. They're just beginning to see another side of him. Liz is completely unaware of that. She's so stupid sometimes!" Eileen later discovers that Liz is really the object of Owen's affections. Of this, Cleaver said that Eileen is a "very bad judge of character" and would seek her revenge on Owen. In January 2011, Eileen steals a £10,000 cheque from Owen whilst balancing his books. Eileen steals the cheque in order to pay for the repairs to her damaged roof. Speaking to soap opera reporting magazine Inside Soap about the plot, Cleaver explained: "Eileen's petrified because she knows what a nasty piece of work Owen is – and, at the end of the day, she's broken the law. Owen isn't a pussycat like Lloyd and Steve – he doesn't take prisoners. I think Eileen's right to be afraid!" Cleaver later told soap opera reporting magazine Soaplife that Eileen thinks Owen "won't miss the money". When Eileen pays the cheque into the bank she knows she has made a mistake and decides to pay it back. Cleaver said Eileen feels guilty because Owen is being nice to her and repairing her roof. Owen's bank card is then rejected, even though Carla Connor (Alison King) has told him that she paid Eileen the £10,000 she owed. Cleaver said Eileen is terrified