EastEnders star Shona McGarty marks relationship milestone with hunky boyfriend
EastEnders star Shona McGarty has travelled to Ireland with her boyfriend to see his family as the couple mark a special milestone in their adorable relationship.
The 32-year-old, best known for playing Whitney Dean in the popular BBC One soap, popped up on the Instagram of musician David Bracken this week. Shona has been dating the Blessed singer for several months now, having previously been romantically linked to fellow EastEnders star Max Bowen (Ben Mitchell).
In a selfie shared to David's Instagram on Sunday, the guitarist can seen sitting next to Shona on a plane as he kisses her hand. "Family time and our first flight together," he captioned the tender post, before tagging his English beau along with '#Myworld' and '#bestfriends'.
Like Shona, David has also made a name for himself in showbiz as the lead guitarist of the Irish duo Blessed for nearly 13 years. It remains unknown when exactly the VIP couple got together, but it's understood their romance began a few months ago.
Speaking about her previous relationship to Max at the British Soap Awards last summer, Shona had nothing but kind words to say about the 28-year-old. "It’s lovely to be here tonight because Max’s mum’s here and I haven’t seen her for ages, I adore her," she told the Mirror. "So it’s lovely to catch up with her. We’re actually better than ever. It’s a friendship, we’re such in a good place."
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likenessEarlier this month, David took to Instagram to make a touching birthday tribute to his talented partner as she turned 32. "You Are The Most , Amazing , Beautiful, Kind , Funniest, Kind Hearted Person I Know. I Hope You Have The Best Day. Thank You For Being You. You Are My World," he captioned the emotional post, which included a photo of the couple sharing a passionate kiss on an outdoorsy walk. Shona revealed the feeling was mutual in the comment section, writing, "I LOVE YOU" in capital letters with an added heart emoji. David, who hails from County Offaly in Ireland, also recently shared a snap of them at a wedding. The glamorous couple appeared to co-orindate their outfits for the ceremony, with Shona wearing a sweetheart crimson dress and her musical boyfriend donning a a silk red shirt with black trousers.
Shona quit her role as Whitney in EastEnders in July 2023 after 15 years, confirming that her final scenes in Walford would air in 2024 following the end of her contract. Speaking to the Sun, the Barnet native explained that while she had "loved [her] years in the show" she wished to "spread [her] wings" by pursing other projects.