Stacey down to an abandoned house, where she confesses that she only told Bradley the truth about what she did to Archie on their wedding night. She feared that Bradley would take the blame for her and offered to confess to the police herself, but Bradley refused out of his love for her and convinced her to run away with him instead. Reasoning that Bradley would only want her to be happy, Max agrees to keep Stacey's secret and sends her home. Five months later, Stacey confesses to Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) that she is Archie's killer and not Bradley. When Stacey flees the country after she is exposed as Archie's killer, she tells a heartbroken Max, after he reveals that he still loves her and wants to run away with her, that Bradley is the only love of her life. In 2014, Stacey hands herself in to the police and confesses to killing Archie, finally clearing Bradley's name. She is subsequently sentenced to five years in prison, but she decides to appeal the sentence, taking her bipolar disorder into account. The appeal is successful and Stacey is released. Creation In November 2005, the BBC announced the arrival of an upcoming character, Bradley Branning. Bradley was introduced as the grandson of the already established character Jim Branning (John Bardon). The character first appeared on-screen in January 2006. 18-year-old actor Charlie Clements was cast in the role. On his casting, Clements commented, "I'm very excited to be joining EastEnders and joining such a great family [...] it's wicked." The character was allegedly conceived in the Hertfordshire town of Tring, where one of the EastEnders''' storyline conferences was held. As a result, Bradley was said to have originated from Tring on-screen before his move to East London to develop a career as a banker. Bradley was portrayed as a character who'd had a "sheltered life because his dad left him when he was young." Development Romance with Stacey Slater In 2006, scriptwriters decided to pair Bradley with the character Stacey Slater, played by Lacey Turner. Mismatched, one reporter commented, "geeky...goody-twoshoes Bradley doesn't seem like the type of lad [Stacey] would normally go for", however he/she added that the couple "may be chalk and cheese, but with [Stacey's] history of emotional turmoil, [Bradley] is probably just the stabilising influence she needs." The couple were hailed as the nearest thing Walford had to Romeo