Reviewing the Steph-centric spin-off "In Too Deep" for "The Times", Tim Teeman commented that while late-night "Hollyoaks" episodes had previously been amusing, "sexed-up" versions of the main show, with "In Too Deep" it became "less shagathon, more "What Lies Beneath"". The episode was selected as recommended viewing by Laws of the "Sunday Mercury". The launch of "Hollyoaks Later" series one, in which Niall returns to target Steph, was named a "Satellite Pick of the Day" by the "Daily Record". Christopher Howse, writing "Tatworld" for "The Daily Telegraph"—a column chronicling tabloid culture—named Steph and her family joint tenth in a list of Top Ten Deans, which included entrants such as Dean Koontz, Dean Gaffney and Richard Dean Anderson.