In late 2002, more than two years after Steph's arrival, her family were introduced to the series. The dynamics of the Dean family evolved with time. They were initially a dysfunctional unit, but in a different way to other "Hollyoaks" families, as they tended to disrupt the lives of others whilst being happy amongst themselves. Upon their arrival, actress Helen Pearson, who plays mother Frankie Dean, assessed that they were "really supportive of each other", and "quite solid, like an old-fashioned family unit", despite their lack of finances which required them to undertake "various scams to keep body and soul together." As time went on, the Deans were affected by affairs and parental separation, more typical of the soap's other families.